Elements Trilogy: Back In Time
by CelticStar87
Summary: Where the original "Elements Trilogy" was a heavy focus on Celtic, "Back In Time" focuses on the relationship between Celtic, Nate, and Bane with a heavy emphasis on Nate and Bane's perspective. There are some overlaps with the "Elements Trilogy" so it might be helpful to read those stories before this one.
1. Prologue

**This story takes place before, during, and after the "Elements Trilogy". It has a heavier emphasis on the character of Bane. It also delves deeper into his friendship with Nate and his take on his relationship with Celtic. There is some overlapping with the "Elements Trilogy" so it might help to read those before reading "Back In Time". While not necessary, reading those stories might help prevent or clear up any confusion.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own DragonVale, it's a game I have been playing since 2011. While the characters are loosely based on actual people, there has been a lot of creative liberty taken.**

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want Heat and Frost to give you away again?" Nate asked Celtic as they were standing in the entry way of the cathedral.

"As much as I love the twins and consider them my brothers, you should have been the one to give me away the first time—we just couldn't risk it still." Celtic looked up at the man. Their relationship was an interesting one—and one that generally had a lot of people questioning. There were times when Bane had been asked if he was jealous or angry about the relationship between Celtic and Nate. So many thought that Celtic and Nate were having an affair. "When Bane and I got married before, it was so spur of the moment that I couldn't exactly comprehend what it would mean for you and I. Nate, I want you to give me away this time. It's time for everyone to know the truth about us – for Bane's sake at least. A truth not even Heat and Frost knew until a few months ago.

"She's right, Nate. Heat and I didn't know the truth about the two of you. There were times I wondered why she defended Bane when she was always with you when he wasn't around. Had we known the truth we would have insisted that you give her away before." Frost spoke up.

"Speak for yourself…" Heat muttered. They knew he was, at least, half-joking about that. Heat had needed some more reassurance than his brother when they learned the truth about Nate and Celtic's relationship.

"See?" Nate remarked.

"Ignore Heat." Celtic teased. She was standing in a room with three of the four men she loved most in the world. This was to be the wedding she and Bane didn't get the chance to have. They were also supposed to have a honeymoon after this… something else they didn't get the chance to have the first time around. They had insisted that they didn't need all of this, but eventually decided it would be nice, especially after everything that they had gone through. "Nate, if I'm getting married again, you are walking me down that aisle. If you don't, you get to be the one to explain things to my husband."

"Can I watch?" Frost joked. After a long discussion with his brother, Frost and Heat decided that Nate should be the one to walk Celtic down the aisle this time. It was time to quell all the rumors that were circling around about the relationship between the two. Contrary to popular opinion, Celtic wasn't having an affair with Nate. The two had been really close since the beginning, though most didn't see it, but it became even more so after they had stopped the Silence. Bane was often on the Farm Island training Zazara, leaving Celtic alone on the Island of Fire and Cold. Nate was often spotted hanging around the cottage, especially when Bane wasn't around. "In all seriousness, the four of us agreed to this Nate."

"Four?" Nate looked between the three in the room and then it dawned on him. "Bane." He shook his head with a smirk on his face. He should have known his best friend had something to do with this. Bane didn't show it, but all the rumors had bothered him. It wasn't because he believed them or didn't trust Celtic, it was because, after everything they'd all been through, people still felt the need to accuse Celtic of doing something that she wasn't doing. Nate knew Bane trusted him more than anyone truly knew. And Nate was the same with Bane. They had a friendship that ran deeper than most understood; it was a friendship that ran deep because of Celtic. Of course, when Bane and Nate had first met, they didn't understand the connection they had. They didn't know why they got along so well with each other more so than with anyone else. It wasn't until a couple of years after they met, that they understood.

 _-flashback—_


	2. The Truth About Nate

Nate grew up on the Island of Air and Earth, but knew that he had been adopted from the Island of Fire and Cold. He had been raised by a loving couple but always wondered about his biological family.

"Who were they?" He would often ask his parents when he was a young teen.

"They were really dear friends of ours who asked us to take you. They feared for your life." His father would reply.

"I do not know if they had any more children. They had to break communication a few years ago to keep you safe." His mother added one day, on Nate's fourteenth birthday. "We did hear from your grandmother from time to time so we knew they were okay."

"Can I look for them? Can I have a name? Anything?" Nate asked.

"I'm sorry, Son." His father hated keeping the information from him but for his safety that was the way it had to be. "I wish we could tell you everything you want to know, I really do, but for their safety and yours, we cannot."

"Why?" It frustrated Nate to know that his parents had all this information about his biological family but they would not tell him anything. He wanted an explanation.

"Nate, you are special; you will do great things for this kingdom. There are people out there who do not want you to succeed. They will stop at nothing to prevent good from happening. That includes killing you and your family, along with anyone else they see as a threat." His mother answered. They decided to tell Nate what he could know since they could not tell him what he wanted to know.

"No one can know who you are." His father added. They kept stressing that all of this was a secret. "You are from the Air Clan, that is all anyone can know at this time."

"So maybe one day I can look for my biological parents?" Nate asked, hopeful. He understood now of the dangers and the importance the secrecy.

"Maybe one day you can." His mother smiled. They would love for their son to know his biological family. The two couples had been friends for a long time and there was no hesitation in taking Nate. They had known he wouldn't have been given up had there been a choice.

Just after Nate's fourteenth birthday, a man called "The Dragon Master" came to speak with him. It was explained that Nate had been chosen for an important task. He was to help train dragons for battle. Nate said good-bye to his parents and traveled to the Main Island with the Dragon Master. Neither he nor his parents protested what the Dragon Master had told them.

"We have to stop by the Island of Fire and Cold first. There is one more person we need to pick up." The Dragon Master watched Nate's expression at the mention of that Island. "You shouldn't look for them yet."

"How did you know?" Nate looked at the man suspiciously.

"I know a lot of things, Nate. I know the truth about you and your family. It isn't safe to look for them yet. In time, Nate, in time." The teenager nodded at the man's words. He remembered what his parents had told him about the importance of keeping everything a secret.

"Okay." Nate wanted desperately to find his biological family, but heeded the warnings. Somehow he knew he had a sibling, he just wasn't sure if it was a brother or a sister.

"After spending a couple of days on the Island of Fire and Cold, the Dragon Master and Nate left with a young pre-teen named Bane. It had taken a little time to convince Bane to leave the island. He said that there was someone on the island that he needed to check on. She was a young girl, about eight, who lived on the outskirts of the two clans.

"Is she your sister or something?" Nate asked, not understanding Bane's reasons for wanting to check in on her.

"No, but she's special. There has always been this need in me to protect her. She's always been bullied for being different. She lives with her parents, grandmother, and twin brothers." Bane replied.

"Her brothers?" Nate asked; something nagging at him.

"Not technically. Their parents were killed in a violent attack a couple months ago. The two clans are always fighting. Hatred runs deep with some." Bane began to explain. "Some believed that the twins' mother had had an affair with someone from the Cold Clan and that their father knowingly went along with it."

"What do you mean?" Nate questioned.

"One twin had red hair and red eyes, while the other has pale blue hair and pale blue eyes." Bane answered. "People didn't believe the truth, they only believed what they wanted to. Both parents were from the Fire Clan, it's just that the mother had ancestors from the Cold Clan."

"Back when things were peaceful, many married into other clans. They still do, but the one union that is 'forbidden' is that between the opposite clans." The Dragon Master added.

"Which is why this family lives on the outskirts. The wife is from the Cold Clan and the husband is from the Fire Clan. In the beginning people were okay with the union but over the years things changed." Bane watched the girl playing with the twins in the yard. It was hard but he knew he had to leave. As Nate stood there next to Bane, watching this family, the nagging feeling from earlier intensified. He wondered if he had found his biological family.

"We should get going." The Dragon Master said, sensing something from Nate.

After everyone was on the Main Island, Nate and Bane were introduced to the others. There was Dt, she was 21 and Nate knew her from the Air Clan – she happened to be the niece of his adoptive parents. The second oldest, at 16, was Liber. He had dark green hair and green eyes, marking him as from the Plant Clan. He seemed nice and had a warm, teasing smile on his face. Nate, at 14, was the third oldest and the second from the Air Clan. Bane was introduced forth followed by another 12 year old, Justin, from the Lightning Clan. Justin was probably the most intense out of the group and seemed to want the center of attention. He was also very impatient.

"I will leave you all to get to know each other and rest. There will be much to discuss tomorrow." The Dragon Master left the room.

"This is weird." Liber spoke after a few minutes of silence.

"You can say that again." Dt replied. They chatted about their respective islands and speculations as to why they were there. After a couple of hours, they decided It was time to call it a night.

The next morning, after breakfast, then Dragon Master explained, in further detail, why they had been selected. A war was coming and they have been chosen to lead the army into battle.

About two years after they had arrived on the Main Island, Nate was talking with Dt and Liber one day. Bane had been called in to speak with the Dragon Master. After about an hour, Bane approached him and said that the Dragon Master had a mission for the two of them. He noticed the tone and expression on Bane's face so he didn't question it at that time.

"What's going on?" Nate asked after they had taken off on their dragons. The Dragon Master had given them each a dragon. Bane had a Seasonal dragon and Nate had a Platinum dragon.

"Do you remember the girl that lived on the outskirts of the Fire and Cold clans?" Nate could hear the turmoil in Bane's voice.

"Yeah, she had the twin boys living with her after their parents were killed." Nate wondered what had happened.

"Her parents were killed. I don't know how long ago it happened. The children are okay though. Someone tried to attack the girl, Celtic, but her parents protected her." Bane sighed. Nate didn't understand the sudden sense of loss that came over him.

"Why are we going?" He asked. He thought it odd that the Dragon Master would send them to the Island in the middle of training.

"The grandmother, Abigail, requested our presence as soon as possible." Bane answered. It hadn't escaped him that Nate was mentioned by name in the letter even though he was from the Air Clan and hadn't spent much time of the Island of Fire and Cold.

"Why me?" Nate was confused. Then he remembered something his parents had said: _"We hear from your grandmother from time to time so that we know they're alright. There was never any mention of a sibling, but that doesn't mean you don't have any."_

"I don't really know. The Dragon Master said that it's because we work well together, but Abigail asked for you by name." Bane replied. He really didn't know anything else.

"Did they always live on the outskirts?" Nate was curious.

"No, I don't think so. My mother mentioned something about them moving in with Abigail around the time Celtic was born. Some said that they had been pregnant before but never saw a baby. There's no evidence of Celtic having any siblings." Bane thought. "Celtic was homeschooled because she would always get picked on when she would come to the villages with her parents."

"Interesting." Nate allowed this information to sink in. They rode the rest of the way in silence. They landed on the edge of the island, close to where Celtic lived. Before they got very far, they heard someone behind them.

"Stupid dragon!" Justin stumbled off his Gold dragon.

"Justin, go back!" Bane ordered.

"No, you can't tell me what to do." Justin spat back. Nate watched Bane clinch his hands into fists. Most of the time Bane didn't let Justin get to him, but this time was different.

"Justin, go back… if the Dragon Master wanted you on this mission, he would have sent you." Nate tried.

"I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere." Justin refused to go back.

"If you cause any problems or get in my way, you will be sorry." Bane got in Justin's face. Nate had never seen Bane threaten anyone before.

"Whatever." Justin shrugged it off and started to walk away. He stopped mid-stride. "Who died?" Bane and Nate followed his line of sight and noticed the funeral procession.


	3. Young Celtic

"Come on." Bane said. The three fell in line at the end. Celtic's presence hadn't gone unnoticed by Nate and Bane. She was at the beginning, behind the caskets, holding hands with the twins. There weren't a lot of people in the procession, at least not from the Fire and Cold Clans. Most of those present were from other Clans, including Nate's adoptive parents. Nate knew the truth now – or at least was pretty sure he knew the truth.

"I should have gone back." Justin muttered.

"No one's stopping you?" Nate replied. Bane kept silent. They stayed with the procession and stood back when the caskets were buried. The crowd slowly started to scatter. Nate's parents nodded at him but didn't speak with him. There was understanding between them. Soon, Bane, Nate, and Justin were the only three left. Celtic was sitting between the two graves while the twins stood with Abigail. Nate's heart went out to the two boys. They had lost their parents and now two more people they cared about had died.

"Bane, Nate, thank you for coming." Abigail came up to the three visitors, but didn't acknowledge Justin. "I am glad that my letter reached the Dragon Master."

"Thank you for sending it." Bane answered.

"Grandma, their headstones aren't complete." Celtic turned to face her grandmother.

"What do you mean?" She walked over to her granddaughter.

"The Clan symbols are missing." Celtic answered.

"I'll get that taken care of. Why don't we go home now?" Celtic nodded.

"What's going to happen to us?" One of the twins asked.

"Heat, you and Frost, will stay with us. We won't send you anywhere." Celtic looked at her grandmother and then at her brothers. She knew they weren't her biological brothers, but they were her brothers all the same. She noticed the visitors and a weird felling came over her. She recognized one from the Island but the other two she wasn't too sure of – though the one with purple hair looked familiar somehow.

"She's right. This is your home now, no matter what." Abigail said. Celtic took the twins by the hand and the group headed towards the cottage. "I don't know who you are, but you can return from where you came." Abigail turned on Justin. Justin was about to protest but rethought that choice. Without saying anything, he climbed onto his Gold dragon and headed back to the Main Island.

"I wish he'd listen to others that well." Nate said. "That boy does his own thing."

"Celty, I'm hungry." Heat said as they entered the cottage. Celtic went into the kitchen and handed each boy some fruit before sending them to their room to rest. She sat down on the couch and pulled her knees up to her chest.

"…" Bane sighed and walked over to sit next to her. He wasn't sure what to say, so he just draped his arm around her shoulders. Celtic leaned into him as the tears broke through.

"Nate, can I speak with you privately?" Abigail motioned for him to follow her to the other side of the cottage. "There is something I must tell you, however, no one else can know."

"Okay…" Nate wasn't exactly sure what she had to say.

"I'm sure you noticed your parents were here?" Nate nodded. "They didn't mention anything about your birth parents, did they?"

"Just that they had been friends for a long time. They had given me up to protect me." Nate answered. He was apprehensive about the topic of conversation.

"Your parents, my daughter and son-in-law, had no other choice but to give you up. They didn't want to; they loved you very much but the threats kept coming. There was belief by many that you were the Master General of Fire and Cold. Many prophecies tell of 'a daughter born from an opposite union born to bring peace and harmony to all islands.'" Abigail started. "There are also other prophecies that talk about a Master General. 'Without the Master General, the Enchantress will not have the strength to defeat evil and bring peace.' Some believed that you were that Master General and that if they were able to stop you, they could stop the Enchantress."

"I don't think I'm the Master General though." Nate thought for a moment.

"No, but the people who believed that threatened to kill you and your parents. Your parents contacted their friends in the Air Clan to ask for their help."

"They took me in and gave me a great life, they protected me by raising me as their own." Nate watched Celtic and Bane. Celtic had fallen asleep at some point. "But I never got to know my birth parents…"

"I am sorry for that, but you are safe. No one knows who you really are – and no one can know. At least not yet. Celtic will be kept safe and one day she will know the truth about you." Abigail watched her granddaughter sleeping peacefully. "This is why I asked for the two of you. I thought it time for you to know the truth and I knew Bane would want to know about the attack. I also knew that he would not focus unless he knew she was alright."

"I have a sister?" Nate had realized this earlier but it just now hit him.

"You are an older brother with a very special little sister." Abigail turned to face her grandson. "Between you and Bane, she will be well looked after. Heat and Frost do a good job of that too even though they are younger."

"How old are they?" Nate had wondered.

"Eight. They are just a year younger than Star." Abigail paused. "It took my daughter a long time to get pregnant again. They had all but given up ever another child. When they first learned that they were having another child, they debated contacting your parents again but they couldn't bear to give up another child. Giving you up had been hard enough and probably led to them having trouble getting pregnant again."

"Why did they even want to have another child if keeping me was so dangerous?" Nate was confused.

"Eventually, they no longer cared about the threats. Also, the threats stopped after you 'disappeared' – they thought it would be sake enough to have another child. They decided to keep the baby when they learned they were having a girl." Abigail replied. "They were not aware of the prophecies dealing with the Enchantress. Few people did back then. It wasn't until a few months ago that the threats started coming again."

"Why didn't they say anything?" Bane joined the two. He had laid Celtic down on the couch and covered her with a blanket.

"They didn't want to worry anyone. I didn't even know until it was too late to do anything. The attack came while I had taken Heat and Frost to the market." Abigail thought for a moment. "They made sure we were out of the cottage. I guess they told Celtic to hide and not come out until someone she trusted come to get her."

"What do you mean 'someone she trusted'?" Nate asked.

"Her parents were dead when we came back from the market. I noticed something was wrong and told Heat and Frost to stay outside and eat a snack. I went into the cottage and couldn't find Star anywhere. I noticed my daughter and son-in-law laying lifeless just outside her bedroom door. I panicked since I couldn't find her. I was sure whoever attacked had taken her. When I went back outside to collect my thoughts and check on the boys, I noticed Celtic coming out of the forest. There was a Frostfire dragon guarding her."

"…" Bane and Nate looked at each other. In their studies they had learned that the opposite dragons, like the Frostfire dragon, rarely ventured away from their homes.

"I was surprised too. I think the dragons sensed the danger and took Star to safety. She trusted the dragons and knew that she'd be safe with them." Abigail continued. She knew her granddaughter was special and could very well be the Enchantress being foretold.

"Her life is still in danger." Bane said. "Maybe I should stay."

"No." Abigail shook her head. "If you stay, your fate is the same as her parents. Neither of you can stay. Your task right now is greater than just protecting her. You need to focus on protecting the entire kingdom. I'll take care of Star and make sure she stays safe."

"Okay." Nate agreed, even though he didn't want to. He knew his grandmother was right.

"Bane, I'd like to speak with you outside for a moment." Abigail knew he wasn't likely to agree so easily.

"I'll watch her." Nate said. His grandmother pulled Bane outside.

"Bane, look at me." Abigail knew this was hard for him. "You have a connection to my granddaughter. You have always watched over her, ready to protect her. If you stay here, you will die protecting her. She doesn't need that; she needs people in her life like you."

"But…" Bane started.


	4. Celtic and Nate

"Do you trust me to keep her safe?" Bane nodded. "Then let me. Focus on what the Dragon Master tells you. That is your job right now. Protect and defend the kingdom and you _will_ be protecting her."

"Okay." Bane knew she was right. It didn't make leaving any less difficult but he knew he had to.

"You and Nate are welcome to stay for a day or two. I think it would so all three children some good. Especially Star. She needs to spend some time with Nate; it will do them both some good."

"What do you mean?" Bane questioned.

"Oh, nothing important right now." Abigail had a sly smile on her face. "Who was that boy that was with you earlier?" She didn't want to ask before.

"Justin." Bane gritted his teeth a little. "He and I are the same age but he always wants his way."

"Your mother raised you well. It was hard for her after your father died, but she did a great job taking care of you." Abigail replied. "I don't trust Justin but only time will tell how he will turn out."

"We should probably head back in." Bane said after a while.

"You're probably right." They headed back into the cottage. They found Nate laying on the floor with Heat and Frost sitting on top of him. Celtic was tickling his feet and all four were laughing.

"Bane, help!" Nate laughed and cried for help when he noticed the two walk in.

"Three against one really isn't fair." Bane smiled. It really looked as if Nate belonged there – like this could have been his family. He thought back to what Abigail had said outside: _"She needs to spend time with Nate. It will do them both some good."_ He looked over at Abigail and she nodded just once; answering his unspoken question. Nate was Celtic's brother but no one, not even Celtic, could know at this time.

"Are you just going to stand there? Or are you going to help?" Nate's voice broke him from his thoughts.

"I would love to help, Nate, I really would, but I'm going to help fix supper." Bane laughed.

"You're staying?" Abigail asked.

"I don't think the Dragon Master will mind if we stick around for a day or two." Bane replied.

"Yay!" The three children squealed with excitement.

"Sounds good to me." Nate said. "But still no one will help me out here?"

"Heat, Frost, can you show Nate how to pick some treats for their dragons?" Abigail decided to give her grandson a little reprieve.

"Dragons?" Celtic looked between Nate and Bane. "What kind of dragons?" Her eyes sparkled.

"I have a Platinum dragon named Iridium and Bane as a Seasonal dragon named Arbor." Nate answered her. He saw her eyes dancing with excitement.

"Can we meet them?" Celtic asked. She was always fascinated by dragons, especially the Epics.

"I don't see why not." Bane looked at Nate. Both had smiles on their faces.

"I'll get supper started while you five feed the dragons." Abigail said and the five headed outside.

"Right, we have Dragon Snaps, Zazzberries, and Dragon Root ready for harvesting." Celtic said.

"Arbor likes Zazzberries, but so does Iridium." Bane said.

"We can harvest all three and make a medley. That way they can each have two some of everything." Celtic grabbed two baskets. They showed Bane and Nate how they pick the treats. "If you pull them close to the roots, the whole thing comes up and you don't have to go back and pull the roost out before replanting."

"Smart." Bane said. He was in charge of the whole kingdom's treat farms and but even didn't know that tidbit.

"That should be enough." Nate said. He took one of the baskets. "What?" He asked when he noticed Celtic staring at him.

"Nothing." Celtic answered. Nate wondered if she knew who he was.

"Come on, I want to feed the dragons." Heat tugged on Celtic's arm. They headed to where the dragons were resting. Hearing someone approach, the dragons lifted their heads. Arbor stretched and met the group halfway. Iridium was right behind him.

"Woah!" Heat exclaimed; eyes wide at the sight of the two dragons. Heat and Frost were holding the baskets of food but Arbor headed for Celtic.

"Hello." Celtic held out her hand to the dragon, letting him sniff her. The dragon nuzzled his nose into the palm of her hand. Bane and Nate looked at each other in shock. Arbor wasn't one to trust strangers. "We brought you some food." As if understanding her, Arbor turned to face Heat and Frost.

"It would be easier to place the baskets on the ground. They're not used to taking food from anyone but us." Nate said. Heat and Frost did as he said and the dragons started eating right away.

"We should probably head back in and get cleaned up for supper." Bane said after a few moments. They headed inside.

"Perfect timing." Abigail said as the group filed into the kitchen. "Get washed up." They took turns washing their hands. Celtic was finished first so she helped set the table. She paused when she got to her parents' chairs.

"It's going to be alright." Nate laid a hand on her shoulder. Celtic nodded and finished setting the table. Supper was relatively quiet; they talked about the dragons and what crops were best for which dragons.

"Once we get some money to expand out treat farms, we'll be able to grow better treats." Abigail said.

"What's for dessert?" Heat asked.

"There may be some berry cobbler left." Celtic said. She checked the ice box while Heat and Frost cleared the table. They ate the cobbler in silence. Once the dishes were done, they all piled into the living room. Abigail pulled a book from the shelf. Nate and Celtic squeezed onto one of the chairs while the twins sandwiched Bane in between them on the couch. About halfway through the story, Heat and Frost fell asleep. Bane and Nate helped them to their beds.

"Grandma?" Celtic turned to her grandmother.

"Yes, Star?" She squeezed in next to her granddaughter.

"Is this Nate?" Celtic handed her a locket.


	5. Flying with Dragons

"Where did you get this?" The grandmother recognized the locket but hadn't realized there were pictures inside.

"Momma gave it to me before she died. I know one picture is me, but I don't know who the other child is." Celtic looked at her grandmother.

"Yes, that is Nate." Abigail sighed. "No one can know who he is to you; it's not safe for either of you." Celtic nodded. She knew there had to be a big reason for her parents to give up a child but still, secretly, keep a picture of him.

"He looks like daddy." Celtic put the locket back around her neck.

"Yes, he does." Abigail looked up at Nate as he and Bane walked back into the room.

"She knows?" Nate asked. A little relieved.

"All four of us do, but not a word to anyone else. I've decided to send the children away until this war is over. They will 'disappear' when you two leave so people will assume they went with you to the Main Island." Abigail stood up. "We can discuss this tomorrow. Right now, I think we all need some sleep. Bane, will you help me get some blankets and pillows?" Bane followed Abigail.

"…" Nate was stretching when Celtic suddenly hugged him. After a moment's hesitation he hugged her back. "How did you know?"

"I wasn't sure at first. I wasn't even sure until Grandma confirmed it, but you look like dad. Except for the purple hair." She smiled. "I always wondered why Momma and Daddy waited so long to have me – they would also make comments here and there that made me wonder if I had an older sibling. Did you know?"

"I knew I was adopted but I didn't know who my birth parents were until today. My adoptive parents didn't know if I had any siblings." Nate took a deep breath. "It wasn't until a few hours ago that I found out that you're my baby sister."

"I wish Momma and Daddy had gotten to know you. I knew if they'd had another child before me, there had to be a good reason they gave them up. After what happened, I knew it was to keep you safe."

"Did you know about the threats?" Nate hated to bring this up but knew it would be good for her to talk about.

"No. I didn't know anything was wrong until they told me to hide. Momma had given me her locket and then placed me in the secret compartment under my bed. They told me they loved me and to not come out unless it was someone I trusted." Celtic looked out the window. "I heard voices I didn't recognize and then Snowmelt poked his nose through the window. I crawled outside and he took me into the forest. I didn't know Mom and Dad were gone until Snowmelt brought me back. Grandma was back from town with Heat and Frost."

"Snowmelt?" Nate asked. He remembered his grandmother mentioning a Frostfire dragon guarding Celtic.

"He's a Frostfire dragon." Celtic looked at Nate. "I knew there had to be danger for him to leave the forest like that. He is very shy and never leaves the forest."

"I was so worried that something had happened to you when I couldn't find you anywhere in or around the cottage." Abigail spoke up. Bane and she had returned right before Celtic started talking about the attack. "I was so relieved when I saw you with Snowmelt."

"You didn't see who it was?" Bane asked. He hated not being here to protect her but knew if he had been he would be dead now too.

"No, but I would know their voices." Celtic replied. She yawned. It had been a long day.

"We can talk about this more later. It's been a long day and we all need to get some sleep." Abigail said. She helped get Nate and Bane settled before taking Celtic to bed. "You can sleep in my room if you want."

"I'll be alright, Grandma." Celtic smiled. She hugged her grandmother goodnight and then crawled into bed. She struggled to fall asleep. After a couple of hours, she woke up breathing heavy. She laid back down and tried to go back to sleep. She tossed and turned but sleep wouldn't return. She let out a frustrated sigh and sat up. She quietly walked through the living room and outside. She took a deep breath, letting the cool night air fill her lungs. She headed to her parents' graves.

"Celtic?" Nate was already there, along with his dragon. "What are you doing up?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Celtic sat on the ground next to him.

"Couldn't sleep." Nate answered.

"Same. Well, couldn't get back to sleep." Celtic placed her hand on her mom's grave. "I keep waiting for them to walk through the door."

"I'm sorry." Nate placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her tight against him. "I will be here for you even when I can't be here physically. You are my sister and I will do everything I can to protect you."

"Just keep yourself safe too." She looked up at him. "I don't want to lose any more family."

"You won't." Nate squeezed her shoulders. "You have responsibilities here and I have responsibilities on the Main Island. We will meet again, I just don't know when that will be."

"But we have the next two days." Celtic smiled.

"And we will make the most of them." Nate replied. He stood up and pulled Celtic with him. "We should at least try to get some sleep." They headed back into the cottage but instead of going back to her room, Celtic laid down next to her brother. Feeling safe, it didn't take her long to fall back asleep. With Celtic's peaceful breathing, it didn't take Nate long to fall asleep either.

"Good morning!" Heat and Frost ran into the living room. They pounced on Nate and Celtic.

"Ow!" Celtic sat up and looked at the twins. "Morning." She stood up and stretched.

"Morning." Bane walked into the cottage. "Arbor and Iridium have been fed." He noticed Celtic wasn't in the room anymore.

"She went to get dressed." Nate acted like he could read Bane's mind. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good. You?" Bane sat on the couch.

"Okay, I guess. Not my most restful sleep." Nate stood and stretched. Heat and Frost had gone outside and were climbing all over the two dragons.

"I woke up once and noticed you were gone. What happened?" Bane asked, thinking it had something to do with Celtic.

"Couldn't sleep so I went outside." Nate didn't have to go into detail. "Celtic came out a little later. We were out there for about an hour before coming back inside."

"It will be hard to leave." Bane said. Nate nodded. "But we have to." Nate nodded again.

"But we will make the most of the days we do have." Celtic repeated what Nate had said last night. She, then, started breakfast.

"Where's Abigail?" Bane asked.

"She usually gets up early and goes for a walk in the forest. She's usually back in time for breakfast." Celtic answered. "Heat! Frost! Come set the table!" She yelled out the window. They did as they were told. Bane helped Celtic with breakfast while Nate went to get dressed.

"What shall we do today?" Nate asked as they were sitting around the table.

"Can we go for a ride on the dragons?" Heat asked.

"I don't see why not?" Bane replied.

"I have some errands to run in the villages, but I should be back in time for supper." Abigail needed to get supplies for the children for when they would be sent into the forest.

"Do you need any help?" Nate asked. She shook her head and they started clearing the table. Abigail grabbed her list and basket before heading into the Cold village first. The rest hung around outside with the two dragons.

"I'll take Heat and Frost with me on Arbor. You can take Celtic." Bane looked at Nate. He wanted to give Nate and Celtic some time together. Abigail was right, it would do both of them some good.

"I want to go with Natey!" Heat exclaimed.

"'Natey'?" Bane tried – and failed – to keep a straight face.

"We can take turns." Celtic said. She, too, had a smirk on her face from the nickname.

"That nickname better not get out." Nate said. He sounded annoyed but he had chuckled at the name too. Celtic climbed up on Iridium and Nate climbed up behind her. Bane helped Heat and Frost climb up onto Arbor before climbing up behind them. Once everyone was settled and secure, they took off into the sky above the Island. "What are you thinking about?" Nate asked his sister. They were flying a little higher than the others.

"How freeing this feels." Celtic leaned back against her brother. "I want a dragon of my own someday. A dragon that I can fly away with – escape reality for a time."

"Maybe someday you will." He replied. "What do you think about Bane?" He was curious to see if his baby sister had a crush.


	6. A Reunion

"He seems like another brother. I think he used to look out for me when I was younger – before he left for the Main Island." She answered. She closed her eyes and let go of the worries she had been building up since her parents' death.

"What makes you say that?" Nate asked. He knew Bane had, but thought that Celtic hadn't noticed.

"It's hard to explain. He has a familiar presence – a presence that had always made me feel safe. I don't remember ever actually seeing him, but I definitely remember feeling him around." She shook her head, knowing she wasn't making any sense.

"That kind of makes sense actually." He thought about it. He'd sensed the same kind of presence when he first met Bane.

"It does?" She was confused.

"I felt the same kind of thing when I first met him." Nate paused. He wasn't sure how much he should say. "The others are nice – except for one – but there is something different about Bane. Maybe it has to do with you…"

"What do you mean?" She asked. She wondered if the exception had something to do with the boy that was with them when they first arrived, but was more curious about what her brother meant about Bane.

"He's always watched over you; always felt like he had to protect you. Maybe he became me – did what I would have done if I had been around. So maybe Bane and I get along so well because we both feel the need to protect you." Nate pondered the thought for a minute. "There has always been a need or want to protect something, I just never knew what, or rather who, it was until now."

"Who was that bot that was with you when you two first arrived?" She came back to that thought.

"Justin." Nate held back the growl but dislike could still be heard in his voice. "He and Bane are the same age but their demeanor is on two different levels. As you could probably tell, Bane acts older than fourteen."

"Grandma mentioned that it had something to do with his upbringing." She hadn't been sure if her grandmother had actually said it or if it had been said in a dream.

"Apparently, he was raised by a single parent. His mom did everything she could to raise him right – to show him the good way to be." Nate replied. He wouldn't go into any more detail than that but he also couldn't because he didn't know any more than that. It was something Bane didn't like to talk about. They flew around for a little longer before meeting up with the others to switch.

"That was so awesome!" Heat bounced with excitement. "I wanna go with Natey now!"

"Let's take a break and then we can switch." Bane shook his head. The boys had been a handful but was glad they enjoyed it.

"The dragons need to rest too." Nate added when it looked like Heat was going to complain. They headed into the cottage after feeding Iridium and Arbor. Celtic and Nate fixed some sandwiches while Bane, Heat, and Frost got cleaned up. Once Heat and Frost were done, Nate went to clean up.

"How was it?" Nate asked Bane.

"It was fun – apart from Heat squirming so much I was sure he'd fall off." Bane laughed. Heat was definitely a hyper child. "They couldn't be more different, those two. Heat has so much energy. Frost is much calmer."

"Heat lives up to his name, I guess. I'm sure you were very active when you were his age." Nate laughed. It was common knowledge that people from the Fire Clan, especially children, had more energy than most of Clans.

"Probably." Bane smiled. "How was it with Celtic?"

"It was great. We talked about you actually." Nate watched his friend's facial expression.

"Me? Why?" Bane was a little confused.

"Well, as her big brother I had to make sure she didn't have a crush on you or anything." He teased. He laughed at Bane's expression. "You don't have to worry, she thinks of you as a brother." He slapped Bane on the back and headed to rejoin the others. Bane joined them a minute later and the five are lunch in relative silence.

"Can we fly with Nate on Iridium now?" Heat asked after the table was cleared and the dishes finished.

"Okay." Nate answered and they headed outside. He prepared himself for the ball of energy that was Heat. He looked at Frost. "You okay, Frost?"

"Yep. I'm great. I think my brother has enough energy for the both of us. I just hope he doesn't fall off." Frost laughed.

"Are you okay?" Celtic asked Bane as they stood next to Arbor. Nate was helping the twins get up on Iridium. "We don't have to go if you don't want to."

"It's not that." Bane replied. He thought for a moment about how to ask. This wasn't easy to ask, nor did he think he should ask but it pulled at him.

"What is it?" She looked up at him. He saw the concern in her eyes and his resolve melted.

"Would you mind terribly if we went to see my mother? I just want to let her know that I'm alright." Bane asked. He would understand if she said no. It had been hard for him to leave his mother when he went to the Main Island. He was only twelve at the time and he and his mother were really close. They had a close bond since she raised him as a single parent after his father's death.

"Do you think that's wise?" Celtic asked. She didn't have a problem with it, but also didn't know if it was such a good idea.

"Probably not, but it's something I need to do." He emphasized the word "need".

"Okay, but we should let the others know… unless you want to go by yourself?" Bane helped her onto Arbor.

"We can't very well leave you by yourself, Iridium can't handle all four of you, Heat would be really upset if he couldn't go with Nate, and…" He paused a moment and looked up at her. "I want you to go with me." She nodded. He led Arbor to where Nate and the boys were to let them know where they were heading.

"We'll follow but we'll stay flying when you land. Just in case." Nate said. He had an uneasy feeling about this, but knew this was something Bane had to do. Bane nodded and then climbed up behind Celtic on Arbor.

"He said they'll follow us, but not land. He wants to be nearby should anything happen." He explained once they were in the air. Celtic nodded. They headed towards Bane's childhood home. He hadn't been home or had any contact with his mother in two years, it was strange coming home now.

"What happened to your dad?" Celtic asked. "You don't have to answer that." She quickly added once she realized what she had asked.

"My mom told me that it was an accident related to his work." He thought about it. "I asked her a second time two years ago, before I left for the Main Island, but she said the same thing. Even though it was the same answer, I could tell she was hiding something. I knew not to press the matter then."

"I don't think now is the time to press either." Celtic had a feeling that deaths like her parents – those shrouded in mystery – were all connected, and spanned the course of years. "Now is the time to let her know you're alright; that you're safe."

"Will I ever learn the truth about my father's death?" He sighed. He knew she was right. They began to descend when his mother's cottage came into view.

"Someday. Someday we will know the truth behind all the mysterious deaths that have occurred over the years, but now is the time to cherish the living." She leaned back against Bane for support as they landed.

"You are much wiser than your years, Celtic." He helped her down. He had her stay with Arbor while he went and knocked on the door. A woman with long red hair and pink eyes answered a moment later. "Hi, Mom."

"Bane!" She pulled her son into a tight hug. "Who's that?" She hears a giggle and noticed the dragon.

"That's my dragon, Arbor." He motioned for Arbor and Celtic to come closer.

"That with him…" His mom's eyes grew wide at the realization. "You must get out of here." She started to push her son towards the dragon.

"Mom, what's going on?" He was beyond confused but he could feel something was off. Just then Iridium landed next to Arbor, putting Celtic in between the dragons. Both dragons tensed and became alert as though they sensed danger. Arbor let out a little snarl.

"Bane, don't ask questions, just get her out of here. Now!" His mom urged him. "If I can, I'll come to you tonight or tomorrow, but it's not safe here right now." Bane shielded Celtic as they climbed back up on Arbor. They took off and headed back to Celtic's cottage. Once there, the five quickly headed inside and the two dragons stood guard.

"What just happened?" Nate asked. Celtic was tucked into the couch beside him. Heat and Frost were on his other side. Bane was pacing back and forth, running a hand through his hair.

"Celty really is in danger…" Heat said after a while.

"Frost, why don't you and Heat go to your room and rest? Arbor will be outside your window." Bane led the twins to their room. Once they were asleep, Bane rejoined Nate and Celtic in the living room.

"Tomorrow we need to prepare everything, so when the children go into hiding, there will be nothing to worry about." Abigail had returned while Bane was putting the twins down. Nate mentioned what happened.

"I'm sorry." Bane said as he ran a hand through his hair. "I put her in danger."

"It's not your fault, you had no way of knowing." Nate replied.

"But with everything that's happened, I should have known." Bane countered.

"Nate's right." Abigail agreed with her grandson.

"It's my fault." Celtic spoke up. She had tears in her eyes. "People keep dying because of me!" She bolted of out the cottage and took off towards the forest.


	7. A Dinner Guest

"Celtic!" Nate took off after her. He found her surrounded by dragons. They were encircling her as though they were protecting her from someone or something. He ran into the circle and pulled his sister into him. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. I was running towards the forest when the dragons suddenly appeared. They formed the circle around me. I don't know what's going on." She clung to her brother. "Can we go home now?"

"Absolutely." They made their way back to the cottage; the dragons never broker their circle.

"Sorry." Celtic sheepishly hugged her grandmother when they were safely inside.

"There's no need to be sorry, just don't run away like that again." Abigail squeezed her granddaughter tight. "Let's get cleaned up for supper." Celtic went to wash up and wake the twins. Nate and Bane helped with supper before washing up. They had just sat down at the table when there came a knock at the door. "I'll get it." Abigail cautiously answered the door.

"Bane." Bane's mother entered the room.

"Mom?" He stood up and approached his mother. "Are you alright? We didn't put you in any danger earlier, did we?"

"No, Son. Are you alright?" She pulled him into a hug.

"I'm fine, Mom." He hugged her back and then had her sit at the table.

"Please, have some food, Annabeth." Abigail handed her the meat platter.

"I'll go get another chair." Heat popped up from the table and grabbed a chair from the living room.

"Thank you." Annabeth smiled warmly at Abigail and Heat.

"Thank you, Heat." Bane tousled Heat's hair before sitting down. "Mom, are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine." She squeezed her son's hand in reassurance. "When do you head back?"

"Soon." Nate answered. He didn't quite trust that everything was okay. Bane's mom seemed a little tense and on edge about something. He shot Bane a look. There was a silent exchange between the two and Bane understood Nate's reluctance to go into detail.

"How are you holding up, Abigail?" Annabeth turned her attention to Celtic's grandmother. The less she knew about what her son was doing, the better for everyone.

"We're getting by. I think the children may be safer on the Main Island where they can be looked after more." Abigail shot the twins a look that told them not to say anything. She, too, had sensed something strange. "I may send them with Nate and Bane when they head back tomorrow."

"If you think they'd be safer there." Annabeth replied. She wondered why she was being so forthcoming about their plans but didn't verbalize her concerns. The less she knew, the better. She highly doubted that was she was being told was the truth anyways.

"I believe they will be." The rest of dinner was silent.

"Son, keep yourself safe. I love you, but do not come home for a while. It's safer that way." Annabeth said goodbye and then headed home.

"I love you too, Mom." Bane whispered. He knew someone had gotten to his mother; that someone was threatening her and her family. They wanted information about Celtic and what was happening on the Main Island. They all knew it; that was why Abigail had given her false information.

"She's taking a great risk protecting you." Nate squeezed his friend's shoulder.

"They all are." Celtic said. "All of our parents took great risks protecting us. Some have already given their lives to protect us." That was one of many moments that made Abigail sure that Celtic was destined for great things. She was only nine years old, but she understood things not even adults did.

"Let's all wash up for bed. We have a long day tomorrow." Abigail said after a while. She knew that even the twins were understanding what was happening. Frost was often quite, but he observed everything and tended to stick close to Celtic when he figured things out.

"Nate, can I stay with you?" Celtic stood in the hallway outside her room.

"Of course." Nate smiled. They settled into the oversized chair, but neither one could sleep. The day's adventures played over in their minds but it was the idea that Celtic was still in danger that kept Nate awake.

"I'll be fine, Nate." She said, almost as if she could sense her brother's fears.

"I know, Grandma knows what she's doing." He sighed. "I know you'll be fine, but I'm still going to worry about you."

"As I will worry about you – both of you." Celtic said. She sat forward and looked over at the couch. She could tell that Bane was still awake. "Bane, are you okay?"

"Something is going on with my mother." He sat up.

"It is not for you to worry about." Abigail sat next to him. "I figured you all couldn't sleep either."

"With all due respect, she is still my mother." Bane responded. "I'm going to worry."

"That may be so, but it won't do anyone any good if you let that take your focus off what you are supposed to do." Abigail answered. "Let me worry about Annabeth. She wouldn't want her problems to keep you from doing what you need to do."

"Alright." Bane reluctantly agreed. He knew she was right, but he also knew he would still worry about his mother. "Do you know how my father died?" He looked at the wise old woman sitting next to him.

"I don't know how, but I'm pretty sure I know why. I also know the truth won't do you any good right now." Abigail answered.

"Do you think it had something to do with Celtic?" Bane wondered if Celtic was right about deaths being connected to her.

"No, I believe that your father's death was connected to you. I think that if anyone from your group has lost one or both parents, it's because they died protecting their children." Abigail let that sink is a moment. "I think the deaths are connected; they're related but not in the sense that they are all because of one person."

"What aren't you saying, Grandma?" Celtic asked.

"You are very perspective." Abigail smiled at her granddaughter. There was something she wasn't saying and she wasn't sure she should. She knew what she wasn't saying would cause alarm and worry. If she was right, they would try to prevent it from happening but doing so would take them away from their given tasks.

"It's probably something we really don't need to know right now. If we knew, we'd want to do something about it and that means whoever is doing all this wins." Nate replied before his grandmother could.

"That perceptiveness must run in family." Bane joked to lighten the mood. Everyone smiled.

"It must. Now it's time we all got some sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow." Abigail stood up and headed to her room. Celtic nestled into Nate's side as they both settled back down into the chair. Bane laid back down and tried to sleep.


	8. Sacrifices

The morning came earlier than anyone really wanted. The six ate breakfast in silence; five were still half asleep and Abigail was making a mental list of things she needed to pack for the kids. The plan was to gather everything today and spend the rest of the day with Nate and Bane. Tomorrow they would say goodbye to Nate and Bane near the entrance to the forest where the Blue Fire and Frostfire dragons would be waiting in the shadows. After saying goodbye, the dragons would lead Celtic and the twins into the forest at the same time Bane and Nate took off. That way anyone who would happen to see them would think that all five went to the Main Island.

"Let's go pack." Celtic helped Frost and Heat pack a small bag before packing her own. They didn't know how long they would be in hiding or how often Abigail would be able to check in on them, but they also knew they could only pack what they needed. They came out of the bedrooms and flopped on the couch with their bags.

"All packed?" Abigail popped her head into the living room when she heard the movement.

"I think so." Frost replied. Bane and Nate finished gathering the supplies that they needed and joined them in the living room. "Now what?"

"We can go for a walk through the forest or we can chill out here and play a game or something." Celtic said. She wanted to do something that would take their minds off of what was going to happen tomorrow. They decided to go for a walk in the forest and then have a picnic lunch near the lake at its center.

"This forest is so strange." Nate said as they were eating lunch. He looked around at the various trees. Some were covered in snow and ice while others looked like they were dead – burnt to a crisp.

"The trees look dead, but they're not. Sometimes, when the sun hits them just right, they look like they're on fire. It is a very unique forest. Each Opposite Island has a forest like this but for the respective elements." Bane spoke up. He hadn't been to every island, but he had done a lot of research because of the treat farms and seasons. "It feels like home here."

"That's because you're from this Island." Abigail said. She looked at Nate. "Does it feel like home to you?"

"Yes and no." Nate looked at his grandmother and then around the forest again. "I think it has something to do with being from this island, but not growing up on this island. I feel a connection to this island because of who my birth parents are, but the Island of Air and Earth is home." Nate caught Celtic's facial expression out of the corner of his eye.

"We should head home before it gets too dark." Abigail stood up and stretched. They gathered everything up and began to head back to the cottage.

"Celtic?" Nate walked beside his sister. Abigail and the twins were a little ways from them with Bane walking a few steps behind them.

"Yes?" She looked up at her brother's profile.

"What I said back there…"

"You don't have to worry about it. I understand. You didn't grow up here, I don't expect you to feel like this island is your home. You're still my brother, nothing changes that." She smiled at him.

"She's right, Nate. Nothing will ever change the bond between you two." Bane spoke up and walked on Celtic's other side. They joked and laughed all the way back to the cottage. The six cleaned up from lunch and then everyone decided it would be a good idea to take a nap. The evening was pretty uneventful, they hung around the cottage until supper. After supper they all decided to sit outside and watch the sunset and stars. Heat and Frost ran around for a while playing chase with Celtic. They knew it would be a while before they were able to play in the open like that. They settled onto the grass between Nate and Bane for a few hours before deciding it was time to get cleaned up for bed. Abigail read the twins a bedtime story before tucking them in. She took her time, knowing that after tomorrow it would be a while before she would have that opportunity again.

"Nate, will we remember any of this?" Celtic asked. She had a strange feeling that one day they would all forget this time and the relationship they had.

"I sure hope so." Nate didn't think there was any reason why they shouldn't remember any of this, but he also knew that if Abigail and the Dragon Master thought it was for the best – and safer – they would make sure that they would all forget about this time. "Even if we do forget for whatever reason, I hope one day we'll remember."

"Me too." Celtic looked between Nate and Bane. "The two of you will always be friends though, right?"

"Always." Bane smiled. That much they were sure of. They may forget exactly why their bond is so strong, but Bane knew that he and Nate would always be friends. "Almost like brothers." Nate nodded.

"Alright, time to try and get some sleep." Nate settled into the oversized chair with Celtic right beside him. He would miss this. It made him miss home and the easy, peaceful life he once knew.

Again the morning came too quickly. Breakfast was eaten in silence. There would be a lot of good-byes today. After clearing the table and washing the dishes, they all gathered their belongings and headed towards the forest entrance.

"Take care of yourselves." Abigail hugged Nate and Bane before also hugging Celtic, Heat, and Frost.

"Same to you." Nate hugged his grandmother one last time; he didn't know if he would ever see her again. He then turned to Celtic. "I wish we had more time, Sis."

"When this is all over, we'll have all the time in the world, Brother." Celtic hugged her brother tight, while Bane hugged the twins.

"Until we meet again, Celtic." Bane said before hugging her.

"Be safe and look after each other." Celtic buried her head in his shoulder. There was an unshakeable connection between the two that was different than her connection to Nate. Maybe one day she would understand it.

"You two be brave and listen to our sister." Nate rustled Frost and Heat's hair before hugging them.

"All of you be safe. We will see each other again." Abigail watched Celtic, Heat, and Frost head into the forest where the Frostfire and Blue Fire dragons waited for them. Celtic turned back and looked at the three one last time before disappearing into the forest. As soon as they were out of sight, Bane and Nate took off. Abigail waited until the boys were out of view before heading back to the now empty cottage.

Months passed by and Celtic, Heat, and Frost remained safely and secretly in the forest. Abigail checked in on them every couple of days in the beginning, but after a while she felt as though someone was watching her so she stopped visiting so much. Bane and Nate didn't talk about the days they had spent of the Island of Fire and Cold, not even with each other. They figured it was the best course of action. The last time they had talked about it was the day they had returned to the Main Island when the Dragon Master called them into his study.

As the months wore on, more and more villagers joined the army on the Main Island. Dt's parents were among the first wave of villagers to arrive. Soon others' parents joined, including Bane's mother. Many villagers had children they decided to leave with grandparents or in hiding so they could join the war. The Dragon Master was not thrilled with their decision, but understood that it was their choice – he also understood why they were making it.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Bane approached his mother one evening.

"To fight. The same reason as you." She replied.

"I wish you wouldn't." He sighed. He'd already lost one parent, he didn't want to lose another.

"Bane, my son, it is my destiny to be here. Just as it is yours. If your father were alive, he'd be here too." She looked at her son and smiled. "We all have something worth fighting for and protecting."

"Some have already died though…" His thoughts went to not only his father but also Heat and Frost's parents along with Celtic's parents.

"And many more will die before this war is over. It is a sacrifice we all know and accept. Your father made it. Celtic's parents made it. The twins' parents made it. Many parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents have made the greatest sacrifice so that your generation can have a chance at a better life." She hugged her son. "Your father died so that you could live, and I will not hesitate to do the same." She looked at him. "Live. That is all I can ask of you."

"Okay." Bane knew what was going to happen. They all did. After one last hug, they went their separate ways. Bane joined the others on the balcony. They stood there in silence looking out over the camp that seemed to be growing by the day.

"Our parents are down there with no idea how difficult this war is going to be." Dt said after a while.

"They know exactly how difficult this war is going to be. They know what they're doing and are ready and willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice." Bane replied. He glanced at Nate and then looked back over the camp.

"Bane's right. Some parents have already made that sacrifice. They made it so that their children can live." The Dragon Master interrupted. "You have to separate yourselves from those emotions. They understand the greater good and so should you. Many people will die because of this war, but even more will die if you lose focus."

"He's right." Nate said. He knew full well the sacrifices made. His thoughts drifted to Celtic and the twins. "We have to focus on the bigger picture and not on our emotions for just our families."

"Easy for you to say. You were adopted!" Dt spat.

"Yes, but they are my parents. They raised me, blood relation or not, they are my parents." Nate glared at her, grateful that she wasn't a blood cousin.

"Nate's birth parents made two sacrifices. The first one was to give him up to protect him. The second one was their lives to protect him." The Dragon Master purposely left out the bit about his sister. No one needed to know about her and, unfortunately, at some point in the near future he would have to block those memories from both Nate and Bane. Celtic would have to grow up not knowing about her brother as well. That was the safest thing for everyone. One day they would know the truth again.

More months passed as small battles were fought. They won some and lost some; they also lost people. The dead were sent back to their respective islands for a proper burial. The cemeteries grew as more and more were killed in battle. Nate's parents along with Dt's parents were among those killed early on. Liber's father, Bane's mother, and Justin's parents had survived so far.

"I'm sorry, Nate." Bane laid a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"It's not too often you lose two sets of parents." Nate turned to look at his friend. "At least she's still safe." His thoughts went to his sister and he smiled. He still had a personal reason to keep going. Bane nodded. Dt, Liber, and Justin eventually joined the two on the balcony. They knew the big battle was coming. Many more would die, but they had to win this one to save so many more lives.

"We should rest while we can." Liber said. They all stood on the balcony a little longer before heading inside to sleep.


	9. Going Forward

-Island of Fire and Cold-

"Celty, how long are we going to be in here?" Heat asked. They'd been in the cave for about six months.

"I'm not sure, Heat. We have to stay here until Grandma comes and says it's safe." Celtic smiled at him.

"Do you think Nate and Bane are alright?" Frost asked after a while. Celtic thought for a moment.

"I'm sure they are." Celtic tried to reassure the boys as well as herself. She didn't know how much longer they would have to stay in the cave, but it wasn't uncomfortable or scary. The dragons made sure they were safe, they played with the babies, and learned all kinds of things. They were already being homeschooled, so this wasn't much different to their life before.

"I hope we can go home soon." Heat said one day. They'd been in the cave now for almost a year. They knew nothing that was going on outside the forest. Their grandmother was only visiting about once a month now. It was getting too dangerous for her to come more often than that. Birthdays and holidays had come and gone; the dragons had done everything to make those days special, but it wasn't the same. Celtic loved the dragons, especially the Frostfires and the Blue Fires. Heat and Frost weren't all that comfortable around them but they were fine. All three were hoping to go home soon though. The forest was thick enough that they were allowed to go outside but they were quickly shuffled back into the caves if the dragons sensed any kind of danger.

-Main Island-

The war was over. Liber, Nate, Bane, and Dt were sitting in the dining room. They weren't hungry, they were exhausted but they weren't sleepy – they just sat around in silence. Another wave of dead were being prepared to be sent back to their respective islands – among them were Bane's mother and Liber's father. The four were not returning to their homes. There was much to do to rebuild the islands after the war. The morale of the people was low due to the grieving of the dead but they were glad the war was over.

"Bane, Nate, I need to speak with you privately." The Dragon Master called them into his study. The time had come to block the memories of Celtic, Heat, Frost, and Abigail.

"Sir?" Bane asked. He had an unsettling feeling.

"First, you all did wonderfully. We can enter into a time of peace now. We can rebuild the islands." The Dragon Master tried to ease into this. "However, I must block the memories you have of Celtic, the twins, and Abigail. It is safer for you and them that you don't remember."

"But…" Nate understood but he didn't like it.

"Nate, it's better this way. We knew this was a possibility." Bane said. Nate nodded. "Their memory will be blocked too?"

"Celtic, Heat, and Frost, yes. Abigail will retain her memories. She has been through enough to have them taken away too. She will not mention anything about you to them, but she will remember you." The Dragon Master answered. Nate nodded, reserved that this was safer for all involved.

"I guess we don't have a choice in the matter." Bane didn't like the idea either but he knew that if the Dragon Master said it was safer, than it was for the best. The Dragon Master handed them each a vial. He didn't explain what it was but instructed them to make sure that they drank it all. He also explained that they would gain these memories back when it was the right time.

"…" Nate and Bane looked at each other after drinking the liquid. The memories they had were no longer there; they were a gray, fuzzy blur that spanned three days. The Dragon Master told them that they had gotten sick from exhaustion and were laid up in bed for a few days. It wasn't something that was mentioned to the others and they were instructed not to ask. Bane moved to the Seasonal Island and began to oversee the Kingdoms combined treat farms. Nate moved to the Island that had the Colosseum and Dragon Track. He continued to train dragons, and he started to host tournaments and dragon races for added income and training. The dragons thrived with the stimulation and were more willing to help out around the Kingdom. Liber began to fill in as an interim leader for the Kingdom, and he appointed someone named Robotron to oversee dragon breeding. The dragons were so well taken care of that discovering new breeds of dragons was not that uncommon. Together with Dt, Robo managed to eventually discover all of the gemstone dragons. The Dragon Master stepped down as his son, Argyos, stepped into his place. The Kingdom was thriving, then a dark cloud began to move in and a once-upon-a-time friend became an enemy and threatened to destroy everything they had accomplished.

 _-years later, during Celtic's poisoning (_ _Enchantress of the Elements)_ _-_

"Bane, you need to sleep." Nate joined his friend outside Celtic's cottage one evening. She had been unconscious for several days now as the Generals searched the Kingdom for the ingredients to an antidote.

"I know, but I can't." Bane looked at his friend. They had been like brothers since they first met. Even though Nate was a couple of years older, the two were a lot alike. For a while, Celtic had felt like a younger sister. He had always felt the need to protect her; he remembered watching over her while growing up on the Island of Fire and Cold. He wasn't sure if his feelings for her were changing or what but it didn't matter at this point. He just wanted her to be alright.

"I get it." For some reason, Nate had felt a connection to Celtic as well. It wasn't like the connection Bane had with her, but it felt familiar. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had met her before she awakened as the Mistress of Fire and Cold. "She's going to be fine, she's strong." Nate squeezed his friend's shoulder. Bane and Nate sat outside for a while before heading back inside the cottage. Bane managed to drift off to sleep while he sat next to Celtic. Nate slept in the oversized chair in the same room. The others had divided into the bedrooms and the addition that Bane had slept in when he had come in search of the Mistress of Fire and Cold. Liber was observing both Nate and Bane and he had been since the Mistresses had awakened. Both seemed extremely protective of Celtic, Bane more so than Nate, but Nate seemed to fill in when Bane wasn't around. He found it interesting and wondered which friendship with the Enchantress would develop into a romantic relationship – his money was on Bane. Nate and Celtic seemed to interact more like brother and sister than anything else.

"So what's with you and Celtic?" Liber asked Nate one day while they were looking for information about who was responsible for poisoning Celtic.

"What do you mean?" Nate looked at Liber. He figured Liber had been watching him, Bane, and Celtic.

"You and Bane seem awful close to Celtic. Bane more so than you, but you're there when he's not. It's weird." Liber smirked.

"Bane said that he's always felt some need to protect Celtic. I've kind of felt the same thing, but it's more of a brotherly thing. I'm not quite sure what Bane's feelings are in that regard." Nate thought for a moment. "I can't really explain it, but ever since Celtic awakened as the Mistress and came to the Main Island, I've felt this connection to her; like I've known her for a long time."

"Bane is from the Fire Clan, right?" Liber thought he was but wanted to make sure. "That might explain his connection to her."

"He is from the Fire Clan, but I'm not sure if that really has anything to do with it. I'm not from the Fire Clan or the Cold Clan but I have this connection to her. I wonder if he's the foretold Guardian?" Nate looked up at the sky. They had landed on a remote island for the night.

"So, you guys think I had something to do with Celtic being poisoned?!" A familiar voice come from behind them; from the tree line.

"Heat?" Nate and Liber stood up and faced the man who was now approaching them. "What are you doing here? How did you know about Celtic's poisoning?"

"I bumped into Frost and Andy a couple of days ago. Frost nearly chopped my head off." Heat was on the defensive. "Why on Earth would I poison my sister?"

"There was a couple of letters from you to her. Andy and Frost said she started to get sick around the time those letters came." Liber said.

"I had nothing to do with that. I haven't spoken to Celty or Frost since I left the Island." Heat was irritated. "Maybe you should look into Justin and someone named 'Kululu'."

"Kululu?" Liber and Nate exchanged a look.

"You've heard of him?" Heat questioned.

"Yes. We fought against him in the first war." Nate replied. "Why would he be back and why would he go after Celtic?"

"I guess if it is him, we'll find out." Liber looked at Heat. "What made you mention that name?"

"This." Heat handed Liber a letter. It basically mentioned that Heat made the right choice by leaving because something was about to happen. It was signed "Kululu".

"…" Nate clinched his hands into a tight fist as he looked of the letter. "I'm sorry we doubted you, Heat."

"It's okay, I probably would have doubted me too given everything that's happened. But know that I would never hurt Celty in any way. Celtic and Frost are my only family and I would never do anything to hurt them." Heat said.

"We believe you." Nate said and Liber nodded his headed in agreement.

"How is she?" Heat needed to know.

"Hopefully, the Generals have found the ingredients needed. She wasn't doing too well when we last checked in with Dt. They fear that if she isn't giving the antidote soon she could die." Liber answered.

"Do you want us to let you know when she wakes up?" Nate asked.

"It's alright. I'll come by sometime. I don't know when, but some day." Heat said before leaving.

"I wish he'd come back." Nate said. "I know Celtic would like to see him again."

"Maybe someday he'll return. Now that we have this information, let's head back to the Island of Fire and Cold in the morning." Liber replied.


	10. His Revelation

"Bane?" Nate asked as his friend approached him. Celtic had been awake and doing well for about a week now. They had all returned to their regular duties but were on alert so they could respond to any threat. It was unusual for Bane to leave the Seasonal Island.

"Nate, do you have some time? I need to talk to someone about something and I can't think of anyone else I trust with this." Bane looked like he hadn't been sleeping well.

"Essiw, can you take over for a while?" Nate asked his apprentice.

"Sure thing." Essiw replied. He had been working with Nate since the end of the First War and usually filled in for Nate during emergencies. It was one of the goals they had set after the First War: no matter what happens, try to keep life as normal as possible for as long as possible. They had managed to keep that goal during the Second War and now they were trying to again.

"What's up?" Nate led Bane to his cottage. Iridium and Arbor followed behind them. "Have you been getting any sleep at all?"

"A little." Bane thought about how to word this. He knew that Nate was also close with Celtic but wasn't sure what the feelings were between the two. He was struggling with Celtic's confession and trying to figure out how he felt about her.

"Bane, you can talk to me about anything, you know that right?" Nate squeezed his friends shoulder. "Does it have anything to do with Celtic?"

"Nate, how do you see her?" He knew it was a strange question.

"I see her like a little sister and it is my understanding that she sees me as an older brother. Why do you ask? How do you see her?" Nate narrowed his eyes. He had wondered for a while how Bane and Celtic felt about each other. It was obvious from the beginning that they were extremely close, but, like Liber had suggested, maybe things were starting to change between them.

"I'm not so sure anymore. She was like a sister to me as well. Someone I felt like I needed and wanted to protect. Something inside of me compelling me to do so. I'm confused." Bane shook his head. "Before we all left the Island of Fire and Cold, she admitted to me that she felt like her feelings for me had changed."

"Changed? Changed how?" He was surprised more so by the fact that Celtic had said something.

"Her words were 'I'm starting to see you as more than a friend.'…" He ran a hand through his hair.

"And what did you say in response?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't know what to say and she really didn't give me a chance to say anything. She kissed me on the cheek and then said 'It won't work, I know.' She felt that I deserved to know the truth but she also didn't want to ruin the friendship we have." He sighed. He really didn't know how he was feeling. "I don't know how I feel. I have been mulling over it for the past week, probably why I haven't been getting much sleep. I guess I need to figure that out. I certainly don't want to lose the friendship with her. I also can even begin to shake whatever is compelling me to protect her." He looked at his friend. He didn't expect Nate to be able to give him an answer, but it was nice being able to talk to someone about it. While he trusted his apprentice, Halo, he wasn't exactly the best when it came to this kind of advice – and he probably wouldn't fully understand it anyways.

"I wish I could give you an answer, Bane, I really do but this is definitely something you are going to need to figure out for yourself." Nate kind of felt sorry for his friend, but he trusted Bane to figure things out and do whatever was best for both himself and Celtic.

"I know, I just needed someone to talk to that knew both of us extremely well." Bane stretched. "I guess I'll head back home and figure things out."

"Try to get some sleep at least, you need to make sure you are taking care of yourself." Nate walked out with Bane. "Come see me anytime, you know I'm here for you."

"Thanks, Nate." Bane shook his friend's hand then headed home on Arbor.

A couple of weeks passed and Bane was awake late at night again. After speaking with Nate, he had been sleeping a lot better, but now he found himself awake again. He decided to step outside and get some fresh air thinking maybe that would help calm his mind. Arbor came rushing to him and nudged him so hard he almost fell over. Trusting his dragon he climbed up onto his back and the two headed toward the Island of Fire and Cold. As soon as Bane realized where they were heading his heart stopped. As he landed near Celtic's cottage he could hear all of the dragons roaring. Celtic's Celtic dragon was louder than all of them. He looked inside the cottage first, but didn't find her there. He then circled the cottage and as he came around the backside, he was met with a very angry and defensive Claddagh. He was able to calm the dragon and then noticed Celtic on the ground. He carefully picked her up and carried into the cottage. Once he turned on the lights he saw the amount of blood that was soaking both Celtic and himself. He did everything he could to stop the bleeding and prayed that he'd gotten to her in time. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her.

"…" Nate was startled awake by a loud dragon roar coming from outside. He threw on his robe and headed out into the cold night. As soon as he opened the door he was face to face with an agitated Fire dragon. "Aiden?" He knew the dragon well. "What are you doing here?" Aiden lifted his head, revealing a note tied around his neck. Nate cautiously took the note; Aiden was still agitated. He felt the color leave his face as soon as he read the words "Celtic has been attacked. Come quickly." He retied the note to Aiden's neck and told him to take it to Liber. He mounted Iridium and headed to the Island of Fire and Cold. As he landed, he noticed a group of dragons near the cottage. He could easily make out Bane's Seasonal dragon. He decided not to enter the cottage, figuring he'd only get in the way at this point. Frost and Andy came out of the cottage shortly after he arrived. They say him and made their way over to him. "What happened?"

"She's been stabbed. WK and Poke think someone wanted her dead. They said that if they continue to try and heal her they could end up killing her. They're letting her rest for the night and then will try again in the morning. How did you get here so fast?"

"Aiden brought a note from Bane." Nate answered. "I sent him on to Liber with the same note. I'm sure he'll be here tonight or tomorrow." He looked at the cottage. "How is she?"

"It's hard to tell right now. She passed out again. Bane is in there with her. He's the only presence that seems to calm her down right now." Frost sounded like he didn't like the idea of leaving the Archer alone with Celtic.

"Do we know who attacked her?" Nate asked, choosing to ignore Frost's icy tone.

"We can only speculate that it's Justin." Andy answered. He caught Frost's tone as well but also chose to ignore it. He knew that Celtic had romantic feelings for Bane and could almost sense that Bane felt the same – but he couldn't be sure about the latter.

"Could be him or Kululu at this point. Or anyone else working with them." Nate replied. "I'm going to head back home. I will return tomorrow morning. If Liber gets here tonight please let him know. Also let Bane know if he asks." Andy and Frost nodded and Nate headed back to the Training Island. He didn't get much sleep that night and headed back to the Island of Fire and Cold early the next morning. When he landed he noticed Dt's Amethyst dragon and Liber's Apocalypse dragon standing with Claddagh and Arbor. Iridium headed over to join them while he headed over to join Liber, Dt, and Frost.

"WK and Poke have sent for Bre. She's no longer responding to their healing and they fear it's actually still making things worse." Frost explained that Celtic had been awake this morning but had passed out again. Andy had gone to get Bre. WK and Poke were resting out back and Bane was inside. "As much as I really don't like leaving her alone with him, I know he is the only presence keeping her calm – and dare I say alive right now."

"I'll go check on them." Nate said as he headed inside the cottage. He saw Bane sitting on the couch just staring at Celtic. Her breathing was calm and he could see a small spot of blood on the bandages wrapped around her side.

"Bane?" Nate watched as Bane seemed to move without thought as Celtic called out for him. He was told, along with witnessing it a few times, that Celtic often called out for Bane while she was under the poison. Nate watched an exchange between the two and could almost tell that something had changed between the pair. Whether or not Bane had verbally admitted that his feelings for Celtic had changed – or even if he had silently admitted it to himself – it was obvious to Nate that they had. He felt him smile a little at that thought. He watched as Bane turned his back to Celtic as she drifted back into sleep and watched the turmoil play across his face.

"Bane?" Nate whispered. Bane looked up at him. "Do you want to talk?" Bane turned to look at Celtic and then nodded. They headed outside where Bane admitted that he had accidentally kissed Celtic. Upon this admission, which was apparently overheard by Andy and Frost, Nate was caught off guard by Frost coming at Bane with his axe. During the confrontation, Celtic had emerged from the cottage. She was still weak and was struggling to stand. Bane went to help her but Frost stopped him. Celtic used an attack on Frost, knocking him to the ground, but left herself even weaker. Before Nate could even react, Bane reached Celtic's side and she collapsed into his arms. There was a brief exchange between the two and then Celtic fell asleep again. Nate went to find Liber and Dt while Bane carried Celtic back into the cottage. Bane came out to join the three as Bre began her healing. They tried to come up with a name to who would have attacked Celtic like this, but they could only think of two: Justin and Kululu. They were leaning more towards the latter as they really didn't think Justin was capable of something like this. They also didn't believe that Justin would really hurt Celtic but would rather go after those close to her, like he had done with Bane in the Second War.

After a few days, Liber started to insist that guards be posted to keep Celtic safe. At first she tried to reject the idea again, but eventually she gave in. Bane said that he would also stay, to which Frost protested. Nate had watched Bane become even more protective of Celtic. It seemed as though his body and hers moved together without thinking – where one was, the other wasn't far away. Nate also wanted to stay but knew it best that he return to the Training Island. He could get back to training the dragons and it would also give Bane and Celtic a chance to sort things out.

A couple of days after everyone had left the Island of Fire and Cold, Bane still hadn't admitted how he felt. He knew things had changed for him the moment he saw Celtic laying on the ground. He knew he might even love her the moment he thought he might lose her. They had spent the past couple of days pretending nothing had changed, going on as friends like they always have since she awakened at the Mistress of Fire and Cold. This particular day, Celtic decided to go visit the Frostfire and Blue Fire dragons, to which Bane insisted on going too. On the way there Bane was finally able to admit that Celtic's feelings were reciprocated. They shared their first "real" kiss but along with the kiss came the visions that Celtic had been having. Bane felt the uneasiness in the pit of his stomach. He didn't like that she had been going through all of this alone and was kicking himself for not being around more.

"Why are you still here?" Frost asked Bane one day. It had been a few days since Bane had admitted his feelings for Celtic. They were constantly together and that seemed to bother Frost.

"Because she wants me here and I want to be here." Bane couldn't understand why Frost was so hostile towards him. He had always consider the Cold General to be a friend and someone he quite liked. "What is your problem with me?"

"I don't want to see her get hurt." Frost was icy.

"Then we want the same thing. I don't want to see her get hurt. And I most certainly don't want to hurt her. Frost, you can trust me. I have no intention of hurting her." He looked at the General. Frost was not Celtic's biological brother, but he was her brother none the less. As was Heat, even if he was no longer around. Andy was more accepting of Bane being around more. He had seemed to realize that Celtic was much happier when Bane was around.

After a threat from Justin, Bane, Celtic, and the others headed back to the Main Island to prepare for another war. There were a few that opposed Celtic and Bane being in a relationship, but most were happy for them. None were probably as happy as Nate was though. Frost had come around to the idea of Bane and Celtic being together; he finally saw how the two kept their focus on the task at hand but still managed to protect each other. He finally saw how Bane treated Celtic and truly believed that the Archer never wanted to hurt her.


	11. All About Trust

"Nate, do you have a moment?" Bane stopped by the Training Island on his way to the Island of Fire and Cold. It had been a day since Andy stopped in to give him the arrow charm. He'd been so busy with the farms and all the new Seasonal dragons, that there hadn't been much in the way of personal time. Celtic had said that she understood and that she was fine with everything, but now he was kicking himself for not making the time for her.

"What's up?" Nate was filling the water troughs. Unlike Halo, Essiw was still around, but they had lost other staff so they had more work to do. He stretched and looked at Bane. "What's wrong?" He noted the look on his friends face.

"How can we keep going like this? We never seem to be able to make time for each other. As soon as we figure something out, something else comes up. One of her dragons comes down with something or Robo is bringing me a new Seasonal dragon to raise. If Halo was still around it would make things a little easier. And now Andy mentioned something about a new Mistress." Bane shook his head.

"Who's watching the Seasonal Island?" Nate asked.

"Robo said he could take over for a couple of days." Bane replied. He sighed. He looked at the arrow charm in his hand. Nate noticed it too.

"Bane, there is no way the two of you can just give up on the relationship. You two are too connected. You're her Guardian, which only deepens this love you have for each other. I believe this relationship would have developed even if you weren't her Guardian." Nate placed on hand on his friend's shoulder. "All I can tell you is to go to her and work this out."

"What would you say if I said I wanted to propose to her?" Bane blurted. Nate was speechless for a moment.

"Go for it. You have my blessing, not that you need it." Nate slapped his friend's back. "But you will still need to figure things out."

"I know." Bane nodded. He spent the rest of the day with Nate. He left in the morning and headed towards the Gemstone Island. He had a favor to ask a couple of dragons. It took a few more days before the ring was finished and then he headed to the Island of Fire and Cold.

"She's still in the forest." Frost said when he saw Bane approaching the cottage.

"Frost, I want to speak with you first." Bane stood nervously in front of Frost. It was only fitting that Bane ask Frost for his blessing considering he was Celtic's only family. He would have also asked Heat if he could have found him.

"What's up?" Frost noted the Archer's nervousness.

"I know it's soon and we haven't exactly had the best relationship these past couple of weeks, but I know I don't want to be away from her anymore. I don't want to lose her and I want to make this work. We will work things out but…" He took a deep breath before continuing. "I want to ask Celtic to marry me."

"…" Frost's eyes went wide. "Are you sure?" He couldn't think of anything else to say.

"I love her. I want to be with her always. I want to marry her and spend the rest of our lives together. And I want your blessing. You are her only family. I would also ask Heat, but as he is still out roaming around, I can only ask you." He looked Frost in the eyes.

"You have my blessing. You make her happy; I've never seen her as happy as she is when she's with you. If she agrees to marry you, I know I cannot stop her. Make her happy." Frost patted him on the shoulder. Bane nodded, shook his hand, and then headed into the forest. She was sitting on a rock next to the lake. She was talking to someone and Bane recognized the voices. He felt a mixture of emotions as he listened to the conversation as he approached. His blood boiled that those two would attack her but he also felt guilty that he had left her to deal with all of this on her own. As soon as he spoke up, Celtic buried herself in his chest. He had forgotten this feeling. He had forgotten how good it felt to hold her in his arms like this. Never again would he let her go. As they headed back to the cottage, he made his move. As he gave her the arrow charm back he managed to slip the ring on her finger. Her answer was interrupted, but when she finally answered him, his heart soared. Their happiness was only slightly marred by the news that a prisoner had escaped.

A few months had passed and they were once again searching for new Generals. After completing his mission, Nate joined Bane, Celtic, and Ellie on the Island of Fire and Cold. They had been talking in Celtic's cottage; trying to come up with a strategy for finding Ellie's Generals. They hadn't really come up with anything before something pulled them outside. Suddenly the whole Island went silent and the four lost consciousness. Nate could have sworn that he saw Blue lurking nearby. Celtic had told them about Blue and Justin manifesting in some physical form.

"…" Nate could feel something react within him. He recognized the two of the four elements that flowed through him. The other two must have been Light and Dark. He slowly opened his eyes. Anger coursed through him and he hissed out Blue's name. When he was able to fully focus, he noticed Justin standing next to Celtic. His first instinct was to attack but then he noticed that nobody else seemed bothered by the presence. Then his attention went to Bane.

"It's not so simple to wake him." Nate heard Justin's voice but nothing was really registering in his mind. All he could think of was what he could do to help his friend. He slowly got to his feet and listened to everything everybody was saying. He understood that Celtic needed to make this journey and that, as much as he wanted to be there with her, Ellie was the only person who could go. He made the decision for everyone, and all but Justin, Celtic, and Ellie headed back to the Main Island. Before leaving, he and Celtic shared a look that went unnoticed by everyone else.

Bane didn't know what was happening. One minute he was with Celtic, Ellie, and Nate trying to figure out how to find the Generals of Light and Dark and the next minute he was surrounded by darkness. He could somewhat make out Celtic's voice but her words didn't make any sense to him. There were other voices that sounded familiar to him, but he was not able to comprehend anything. As he drifted further and further into the unconsciousness, images from the past flashed before him. Celtic as a young girl as she played with Heat and Frost in their yard, seeing Celtic on the Island of Fire and Cold before she awoke as the Mistress… images that held meaning to him and warmed his heart. They were images that brought light to his life and each one of them Celtic had been a part of. Then images flashed across his mind of his mother's death, then Celtic defending him against Blue on the battlefield – something he didn't like to think about because of how much that moment had changed Celtic, then the days when she was poisoned and fighting for her life… Images that were marred with darkness and felt heavy to relive them. Then there was a sudden, evil laughter that was all too familiar. Blue. There was no question.

"She doesn't love you. She is only with you because you're her guardian. There's nothing special about you to keep her around." Blue's voice echoed in the darkness. Bane tried to ignore the comments he knew weren't true. It was the darkness talking; the darkness was full of lies.

"I am engaged to my Guardian. I am engaged to him because I love him." Those were the only words Bane was able to understand since the darkness took hold. He didn't know how long he'd been unconscious but he always knew that Celtic was nearby. It was her words just now that allowed memories of light to fill his mind and alleviate some of the weight the darkness pressed on him. Suddenly a sharp pain spread through his body causing him to gasp; he felt Celtic collapse beside him. He tried to let her know that he was still alive, that he was still fighting along with her. He could sense that his pain was also affecting her.

"Bane, I will find a way to break this… Trust me… I can't do this alone… I need you beside me…" He could only understand pieces of what she was saying to him. He felt her hand in his and the pain ceased. He knew that everything would out; they always seemed to when they were together.

-on the Main Island-

Nate was sitting around the table with the rest of the Mistresses and Generals. His thoughts kept drifting back to Celtic and Bane; hoping that everything was okay. He played with a parchment that had come that morning. The rest didn't know about it or the information that it contained. They were busy talking about how to stop the Silence. When Eme brought up the Generals of Light and Dark, Nate had no choice but to speak up.

"Just the General of Light. The General of Dark has already awakened." Everyone looked at him.

"How?" One of the newest Generals, Adriano, asked. They had made to sure to get the new Generals up to speed about the past and what they were up against.

"Blue got to her." Nate answered. The name alone caused him to grit his teeth in anger. He also knew that the new General of Dark would be susceptible to anything Blue said.

"How do you know all this?" Bre asked.

"Justin sent word this morning." Nate laid the parchment on the table. Andy began to question whether or not Justin could be trusted.

"The Enchantress seems to trust him…" Nate spoke up. He wasn't sure where Andy's attitude was coming from. Andy then began to argue about Celtic's choice in people to trust. But everyone had a counter to his statements.

"If you have a problem with her and Bane, or her trusting Justin, then that is something you are going to have to work through." Nate was rather forceful in his tone, but he couldn't take anymore of Andy's comments against Celtic.

"If you, honestly, think Celty trusts the wrong people or trusts too easily, then you don't really know her." Heat walked into the room. He mentioned that he had heard about Celtic and Bane's engagement so he had decided to stop by and congratulate them. "So is it Bane or Justin Andy has a problem with?" Heat seemed to fit right in with the rest of the group – it was as though he'd never left.

"It doesn't matter. We have bigger things to deal with. Whatever problem Andy has, is his problem." The Mistress of Earth and Air spoke up. Andy hadn't said much of anything after everyone counter his statements. Nate decided to get the topic of conversation back onto the Silence, even though his thoughts still drifted back to his other friends.


	12. Heartbreak

Bane could sense some tension nearby. He might have been in a state of unconsciousness but he could still feel things around him, especially Celtic's presence. He wanted to be free from this darkness, but trusted that Celtic was doing all she could to make that happen. Suddenly he felt something soft against his lips and then something warm flow through his mouth and down his throat. It took him a few minutes to understand what this was, but it was a familiar sensation none the less. He opened his eyes for the first time in days and saw Celtic's face above his. She was crying.

"Tears?" His voice was hoarse and Celtic didn't seem to hear him. He sat up and held her face in his hands to wipe away the tears. The moment she opened her eyes and saw that he was awake, she buried herself in his chest. All he could do was hold her. They stood up, completely unaware of what was going on around them. It wasn't until Celtic introduced him to those around them, that he realized they weren't alone. His eyes landed on Justin.

"Hi, Bane." Justin took a step back. "I'm still dead." He explained something about crystals but Bane really wasn't paying much attention to him.

"What's this?" Bane asked when Celtic handed him a baby Blue Moon dragon.

"Your Blue Moon dragon, she's been waiting for you." Celtic smiled at him.

"Oh." Bane looked at the baby dragon and then at Celtic. "This has made me realize something."

"Oh?" Celtic wasn't sure what he was going to say.

"I don't want to go another day without seeing you." He pulled her into him and kissed the top of her head.

"Like I said, I never stood a chance." Justin teased. Bane pulled Celtic in a little tighter and looked at Justin.

"You don't… and you never will… even if you _were_ alive." Bane replied.

The group rested for the night after deciding to head back to the Main Island in the morning. Bane was happy to be awake and alive. Before they left, Astraeus and Eos handed them five baby dragons. Celtic assumed they were for the new Generals.

"Celty!" Heat smiled as they entered the main hall.

"It's good to see you on your feet again, Bane." Nate was so happy to see his friend was alive. He knew Celtic would succeed in her mission. There was no way she would have given up trying to save Bane. Everyone was introduced to the new Generals and the baby dragons that Astraeus and Eos had given them were handed over to their owners. Celtic gave Robo a couple special eggs and a special crystal to allow new, unique habitats to be built.

"I still don't see why Heat is here…" Andy muttered.

"It's a good thing he is here." Celtic replied and then explained how Heat was the Master General. The explanation led into the weight of everything that was happening.

"…" Nate looked at Bane. He was worried about the expression on his friend's face.

"An end is coming." Celtic said solemnly.

"We either stop the Silence and ultimately wars along with it or…" Grim thought aloud.

"We start a war that will never end and any peace will be shattered." Adriano finished.

Simen questioned how Celtic knew all of this. She placed a baby Sonnet on the table and Bane then placed a small Window of Reverie in the middle of the table.

"I wish you wouldn't…" Bane whispered in her ear. He knew the visions all too well and the effect they had on her.

"What's going on?" Frost looked between Celtic and Bane. He had an unsettling feeling. Celtic concentrated and with the help of Sonnet, everyone had witnessed the visions Celtic had been having. Master Argyos came in and helped explain a few of the unique abilities of the Dream and Blue Moon dragons. After a while, Nate decided it was time for everyone to get some sleep, but no one actually headed to their rooms. He watched Bane follow Celtic out onto the balcony.

"Celtic, what's wrong?" Bane had sensed something was off and followed her onto the balcony.

"I'm sorry." She faced him but didn't look at him.

"For what?" He was confused. Panic started to set in.

"I can't do this." She placed the engagement ring in his hand. Bane grabbed her wrist before she could leave.

"Explain. I don't understand." He said as he pulled her close and lifted her chin so she had to look at him.

"Please, don't make this harder." She said through the tears; he refused to let her go.

"Why?" He pleaded. He could feel his heart breaking.

"I can't do this to you." She took a shaky breath. He knew as well as she did that there was a good chance she could die.

"Please tell me how being apart is easier?" He choked the tears back.

"I'm sorry." She started to pull away again but he pushed her back against the wall, catching her off guard.

"I won't let you go until you give me a truthful answer." He placed his hands on either side of her.

"You should find someone else… someone who won't die trying to save the world." She looked into his eyes and he could see the pain there. It mirrored his own.

"I'm not agreeing to this." He shook his head and slid the ring back on her finger. "I refuse." He released her but she didn't move.

"You are a stubborn one, Archer." He saw her resolve fade.

"When it comes to you, you better believe it." He smiled. "Don't ever do that to me again, okay?"

"Okay." She smiled. He pulled her into him. He was just about to kiss her, but someone interrupted them.

"What do you want, Justin?" Bane turned and glared at him. Something was off though. Before he knew it, everyone was outside with them. He wasn't sure if the balcony would hold everyone but it seemed to. Celtic stood up to Blue. She was, once again, trying to protect him, but he kept her close this time. He supported her as she used the Elements to banish Blue once and for all. After Blue disappeared he felt Celtic collapse against him.

"I'm fine…" He barely heard her.

"You are not fine." He supported her. Nate looked really concerned.

"She used all ten elements." Nate said. He knew what Bane and Celtic knew: she may not walk away from this.

Bane watched Celtic and Justin say good bye. A little jealousy bubbled up as Justin kissed her on the cheek, but he let it slide. Justin was dead after all.

"I never stood a chance. Take care of her. You'll never find another one like her." Justin held out his hand. Bane was hesitant to shake it, but he did. He had to thank him for protecting Celtic when he couldn't and being there with her, helping her to cure him.

"Celtic?" Bane pulled her to him. "Are you okay?"

"I will be." She smiled. He kissed her cheek. "Wiping away his touch?"

"Maybe." He smiled and then kissed her. They could hear the moans of disgust from the crowd around them.

Over the next few days, they rested and trained; preparing for the biggest battle of their lives thus far. They were sitting in the main gathering room talking amongst themselves when Eddie showed up. He tried to attack Celtic but Bane made sure to keep an eye on her regardless of what Eddie was doing. He was able to protect her. Nate was right there with him. The two of them were protecting Celtic while the others deflected other attacks. Bane continued to neutralize the attacks aimed at Celtic, he was getting annoyed. Eddie pulled out some sort of weapon and Rain and Awesome seemed to recognize it. Eddie underestimated all of them. Eddie sent a huge blast at Celtic.

"I warned you!" Bane readied his bow. An arrow cycling through all ten elements flew through the air, neutralizing the energy before hitting Eddie. "I keep my promises." He said as Eddie collapsed to the floor. Bane stood with shoulders erect; he had no problem killing someone who was threatening Celtic. After Eddie took his last breath, the focus turned to destroying that weapon. Awesome and Rain explained the history of the weapon as it had originated on the Island of Light and Dark. It was revealed that Awesome's father was the leader of the Light Clan and Rain's father was the leader of the Dark Clan.

"…" Celtic suddenly sat down.

"Celtic?" Bane knelt beside her. "What's wrong?"

"I…" She placed her forehead against his and he saw what she saw.

"Oh." Bane pulled back and then held her against his chest when the images faded. Everyone was on edge. Sonnet rushed over to Celtic and made it so the rest could also see the images she and Bane had seen.

"That is our future if we don't stop the Silence." Celtic said. "Everyone and everything we know… gone."

A few weeks passed since Eddie's attack. Everyone stayed on the Main Island to continue to train; they wanted to be ready for whatever came. Bane and Celtic decided to get married before facing the Silence. They decided they couldn't wait; they couldn't risk not getting married in case Celtic did die. Bane didn't like to think about that outcome, but knew he needed to prepare himself for it. Bane was completely thrilled by Celtic's agreement to get married sooner rather than later. Nate stood in the main gathering room with Rain and Awesome, watching the exchange between his two friends. He knew what was happening and he smiled. He was happy to know that Bane and Celtic could find happiness regardless of what was happening. Rain asked Nate about the other day, when Celtic used all ten elements. That question led to everyone knowing that Celtic could die from channeling all ten elements at once for an extended period of time. Bane and Celtic broke the news of the wedding and there was only one objection. Andy wasn't thrilled with the idea and he was very vocal about it. There was no talking them out of it. Eos and Astraeus made an appearance at the wedding and they were the ones to officiate it. After a joyous wedding ceremony, Ember made his move. Everyone headed to their respective islands, as directed by Astraeus. Bane, Celtic, and Nate remained on the Main Island. Bane kept alert to any attacks that might come, but mainly he supported his wife as she began to channel the ten elements.

"Celtic, hang in there. You are strong enough." He did not waiver in his support. As soon as he realized the crystal had been destroyed he turned his attention to Celtic. He managed to catch her before she hit the ground.

"Hi…" She was weak. "Never forget… that I…" Her breathing was ragged. "I will always be with you… I love you so much…" Her eyes drifted close. Bane's heart broke and he held her lifeless body. He buried his face in her hair. He didn't even noticed when the woman with Ember stepped in front of them protecting them from Ember. He only noticed when she killed Ember. After asking her why, he turned his attention back to his wife.

Nate had watched the scene unfold. He had been keeping an eye on any attack that would befall either Celtic or Bane, but he did not interfere with anything else. He watched as Celtic fell into her husband's arms and watch with agony at Bane's reaction. He knew there was a good chance Celtic had died saving the world. They knew that was likely, but he didn't want to believe it would happen. Not after everything they had already been through. He laid a hand on Bane's shoulder as everyone gathered around them. Their smiles faded as they noticed Celtic's lifeless body. Heat collapsed to his knees and it was all Nate could do to stand.

"Come, we must head to the Island of Light and Dark." Astraeus and Eos joined them. Bane carried Celtic with him on Arbor. Claddaugh was not far behind. There was something going on in the town square when they landed. Ellie, Awesome, and Rain were trying to convince the Clans to stop the unnecessary feuding.

"What do we do now?" Wolfie asked. Everyone was starting to believe the Celtic was really dead.

"We go on. We live our lives the way we were meant to. We find happiness. We make sure her sacrifice was not in vain." Nate answered. He wanted there to be some hope left; some miracle that would happen, but he, too, was losing all hope.

"Interesting…" Nyx, the Dark Rift dragon spoke up. Bane was starting to lose all hope too, but if the dragons knew something then he would certainly listen.

"What?" Adriano asked when nobody else would.

"Guardian, close your eyes. Listen to what the elements are telling you." Nyx looked at Bane. He did as he was told. He concentrated even more and began to feel the elements stronger and stronger. His eyes shot open and he looked between the dragon and his wife. "She's still alive." He didn't want to let himself hope too much, but he could feel that Celtic was still alive. Nyx explained how they could awaken the Enchantress, breaking the Silence once and for all, but that there needed to be an atmosphere of peace and goodness. Rain and Awesome pleaded with their fathers again, but it wasn't until Sonnet and Irish showed the two Clans what Celtic had done that they agreed to end the feuding that had been going on for generations. The Mistresses and Generals formed a circle around Bane and Celtic. Nate could only stand by and watched. He was kneeling inside the circle, but remained close to the edge.

"Bane, trust me, you're the one she wants." Nate spoke up after hearing Bane start to doubt himself and the relationship with his wife. "You always have been and you always will be the only one she wants."

"Okay." Bane said. He thought for a moment as he looked at his wife. He traced the scar around her eye; remembering everything that they had been through together and how their relationship developed over time. He could feel the elements move inside of him as the Generals and Mistresses channeled them. As Ellie finished with her two elements, Bane kissed Celtic. He felt the elements move through him and into Celtic. He only pulled away when he felt that they had fully entered her. He waited with baited breath as the elements did what they needed to do. He still would not let himself hope too much.

"Were we too late?" Grim asked. Nyx had mentioned that if Celtic remained in that state for too long, it would be harder to wake her.

"It's my fault." Bane said through a choked voice. "I'm not…"

"If you say anything about not being my true love, Archer…" Celtic looked up at him.

"…" Bane was too shocked to speak at first. "Celtic?" He choked out.

"Hi." She held his face in her hands. "Bane…" She kissed him and then wrapped her arms around his neck. He held her tight.

Everything was right in the world as far as Nate was concerned. Celtic and Bane were together again, all threats had ceased, the Islands were coming together as one united Kingdom, and he got to home. He knew that he would be traveling quite a bit, but he was okay with that as long as it had nothing to do with war and fighting. Trying to get Celtic to slow down and rest was going to be a real challenge though. She was the Kingdom's leader, but she had decided that each Mistress would lead their own Islands and only bring big concerns to her attention. They would only come together on official business when something major came up. Celtic did establish general, Kingdom-wide laws, but each Island was still able to govern themselves. Trade between the Islands increased and the Kingdom began to flourish even a few days after the Silence was defeated.


	13. Trust Issues

Celtic had just returned to her cottage from the forest. Bane had left early that morning to start Zarzara's training. Heat, Frost, and Andy were joining her for dinner so she wanted to make sure she had enough time to cook something. Just as she was about to pull the ingredients out of the icebox, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" She called. "I'm in the kitchen." She added when she heard the door open.

"A little trusting there, Celt?" Nate entered the kitchen.

"If you had been any kind of threat, Claddagh, Sonnet, and Irish would have alerted me and you wouldn't have gotten anywhere near the cottage." Celtic hugged him. "Bane isn't here."

"I know. He stopped by the Training Island for lunch." Nate leaned against the wall. Nate would often visit the Islands for work but he usually stopped by Celtic's cottage more often, especially when Bane was on the Seasonal Island.

"Did my husband ask you to check in on me?" She teased.

"Not in so many words." He replied. "You know how he worries, especially given everything that's happened. It's only bee a month since the Silence, we just want to make sure you're not overdoing it."

"It's good a good thing I love all of you, otherwise I'd feel smothered." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Between you and my husband and then Frost, Andy and Heat, plus the dragons – I feel like I can't do anything without being watched."

"Heat? I thought he left again." Nate could understand what she was saying – he also knew she was teasing a little.

"I did, but I'm back for a little while." Heat, Frost, and Andy entered the kitchen.

"You know, Nate, if you keep showing up like this people are going to start talking – especially when you show up when Bane isn't here." Andy said. Nate was starting to feel like Andy didn't trust him.

"People already are." Celtic said. She'd overheard a conversation the other day in the Market.

"What?" Nate wasn't sure what to say. "What are they saying?"

"That you and I are having an affair. Then some are saying that Bane has no idea and others are saying he knows but seems fine with it." She didn't turn to face the men. It made her blood boil just thinking about it.

"That's ridiculous." Frost shook his head. "I guess there's nothing before for them to talk about than idle gossip."

"Nate fuels the gossip." Andy said.

"Do not put this on him!" Celtic slammed her fist on the counter.

"Celt, it's okay." Nate tried to calm her down.

"No, it's not okay." She leaned back against the counter with her arms folded across her chest. "It sounds to me like Andy doesn't trust Nate – or maybe he doesn't trust either one of us?"

"…" Andy didn't have a response to that.

"It's not just Nate and I that is filling the Market with idle gossip." Celtic sighed.

"Can you three give us a moment?" Nate knew the look on her face. Frost pushed Andy and Heat out of the cottage. "It's about Bane, isn't it?" She nodded.

"He's only been home for a total of two weeks – and now he's gone again – I'm sure you can figure out what the gossip is." She looked at Nate. "I know what they're saying isn't true, but what do they need to drag him through the mud?"

"People haven't seen what the rest of us have. I think if they saw the two of you together they would know the truth." He ran a hand through his hair. "Does he know what's being talked about?"

"I haven't mentioned anything to him and he hasn't said anything, so I'm not sure if he knows or not." She looked out the window. "You know we still haven't had a honeymoon?"

"I know. Bane mentioned it when he stopped by." Nate understood how hard it was for Bane and Celtic to find time for just the two of them. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything." She went back to fixing dinner.

"Why do you think Andy is acting the way he is?" Nate had noticed a discord when Bane and Celtic had decided to get married before defeating the Silence.

"I honestly have no idea. And I have no idea why he seems to distrust you. You've never shown any reason for distrust." She glanced at him. "You've been like a brother to me."

"I'm going to go talk to those three while you finish dinner." He kissed the top of her head and then headed outside.

"What's your deal?" Andy questioned as soon as Nate stepped outside.

"Celtic and Bane are my friends and Celt is like a sister to me. What's your deal?" Nate replied rather forcefully. "Bane knows my friendship with Celtic and he trusts me to check in on her from time to time, especially when he's away."

"So he doesn't trust us?" Andy countered.

"He trusts us, he just doesn't want all the worry to be on us." Frost spoke up.

"Andy, you need to chill. We have no reason not to trust Nate." Heat added.

"I don't need this." Andy spun on his heel and headed away from the cottage. "Heat, you can have your job back." He said before taking off on his Solstice dragon.

"That escalated quickly." Heat said after a few minutes. They headed inside and explained what happened.

-meanwhile on the Seasonal Island-

"Are you sure you want to do this now?" Zarzara asked Bane.

"We need to get started. The faster you learn everything the sooner you can take over. The sooner you can take over, the sooner I can stay home more." Bane replied. They were finishing up the night's harvest when a familiar Solstice dragon landed nearby.

"That's Andy, isn't it?" She asked. Bane nodded as panic set in.

"Andy, what's…?" Before he could get the question out, Andy punched him in the face. Arbor raced to Bane's defense only to be stopped by Summer. "What the heck?" Bane was completely taken off guard.

"I knew the two of you getting married was a mistake. Your marriage is a joke. No wonder villagers are talking about Celtic and Nate having an affair and you not wanting to be at home with her." Andy spat. "Are you having an affair too?"

"No one is having an affair." Bane knew what was being gossiped about. Bane trusted Nate and Celtic more than anyone else in the world.

"You should have let someone else have her." Andy glared at Bane.

"Who? You?" Zarzara spoke up.

"Someone who could be with her everyday. Someone who could protect her from all these rumors." Andy rolled his eyes at Zarzara.

"Andy, Celtic thinks of you as a good friend, maybe even as a brother, but I'm sure your behavior right now is putting a strain on things." Bane said. Things had been tense between Celtic and Andy since the wedding.

"That's okay, I've already given Heat back his job. I don't plan on returning to that Island anytime soon." Andy replied.

"Why are you being like this?" Zarzara asked.

"I'm tired of people talking about Celtic and her husband not doing anything about it." He answered.

"And what would you have me do?" Bane was getting irritated. "Do you want me to tell Nate that he can't be friends with us anymore? Do you want me to neglect my responsibilities or for Celtic to neglect hers?"

"Yes. Especially about Nate." Andy spat.

"That's not going to happen." Bane tensed. "I have known Nate for a long time and I trust him with my life. Seems to me that it isn't just the villagers who have trust issues."

"Or maybe you're too trusting." Andy said before spinning on his heel and leaving.

"That was weird." Zarzara said after a while.

"That's for sure." Bane shook his head.

"We can postpone a couple days if you want to go home." She looked at Bane and noted his facial expression.

"Celtic wouldn't want that. But I do think I need to put something on my face." He could feel the throbbing around his eye.

"Hey, where's Arbor?" Zarzara looked around. "He was blocking Summer but where did he go once Andy left?"

"Probably to the Island of Fire and Cold." Bane shook his head. It wouldn't surprise him if Arbor went to alert the others to what just happened.


	14. Remembered Memories

-Island of Fire and Cold-

"Who said I wanted my job back?" Heat said. They had explained what happened with Andy over dinner.

"I don't understand why he reacted that way." Celtic said with a sigh. Frost cleared the table and looked at his brother.

"So what are you going to do?" Frost asked his twin. He hoped that Heat would decide to stay but wouldn't be too disappointed if he decided to leave again.

"I think I'll stick around. At least for now and see how things go." Heat playfully punched his brother in the arm. They joked around for a little while when they heard Arbor roar. Celtic ran outside; she recognized that roar before anyone else did.

"Arbor? Where's Bane?" Panic started to set in when she noticed that her husband wasn't with his dragon.

"Don't worry. Bane's safe of the Seasonal Island." Irish joined them. Bane didn't usually travel with the Blue Moon dragon unless it was official Kingdom business. Celtic was the same with Sonnet. She breathed a sigh of relief at the dragon's words.

"Something had to have happened for Arbor to come here though." Nate stood next to Celtic.

"It seems as though Andy paid him a visit." Irish relayed Arbor's message. Most dragons couldn't talk to humans, but Sonnet and Irish could. They would often use telepathy to relay messages between dragons and humans. Irish snarled a little.

"What?" Celtic looked between the two dragons.

"It seems Andy bunched Bane in the face." Irish looked at Celtic.

"What?!" Celtic looked between the two dragons. "Is he alright?"

"He seemed to be. Andy punched him before chewing him out about something." Irish said.

"What the heck has gotten into him?" Frost asked the rhetorical question.

"Nate, will you…" Celtic started.

"I'll check on Bane and make sure everything is alright." He said before she finished. He emphasized "everything". Celtic nodded. "Come on, Iridium." They took off with Arbor.

"I will go too after I speak with Sonnet." Irish headed over to the Dream dragon.

"Celty, where are you going?" Heat asked.

"Robo sent over a very special dragon earlier. She's in the play area with the other babies. I figured I would check on her."

"Has he mentioned how the breeding is going?" Frost asked as he walked with her.

"He seems to be happy with how things are going. He's been discovering quite a few new breeds lately." She answered. She listed a few of the new breeds as they neared the dragon play area. "He dropped this little one of this morning right after Bane left." She picked up a white dragon that had a horn and rainbow wings.

"What is it?" Frost asked as he petted the baby dragon on the head.

"A Chromacorn. She's a Rainbow element but also a Rift dragon." Celtic and Bane had taken a couple of trips to the Rift since its discovery but hadn't been able to spend much time there.

"How's Rift breeding going? Is Robo still traveling between worlds for breeding?" Frost asked as Heat joined them.

"Between him and Argyros. They take turns. It give Argyros a chance to learn more about the Rift and how it works." Celtic placed the Chromacorn back into the play area.

"Enchantress, I will head to the Seasonal Island to check on your Guardian. We will return in a few days. There is something Sonnet and I must reveal." Irish and Sonnet approached the three.

"I will go and speak with Eos and Astraeus in the meantime." Sonnet said. "We will leave in the morning."

"What's going on?" Celtic asked.

"I need to confirm a few things with Eos and Astraeus before I can say anything." Sonnet nuzzled Celtic. "Do not worry, Enchantress, everything is good."

-the Seasonal Island-

"Nate, what are you doing here?" Bane asked when he saw Iridium land. He noticed Arbor was with him.

"Arbor told us what happened – through Irish, that is." Nate walked up to his friend. "Geez! Are you okay?" He noticed the black eye starting to form.

"I'm fine." Bane shook his head. "You didn't need to come."

"It was either Celtic or me." Nate said as they headed into Bane's old cottage. "Where's Zarzara?"

"She's getting the dragons settled for the night. She's been sleeping with the baby dragons to help them adjust." Bane replied.

"What exactly happened?" They sat down in the living room.

"Andy punched me in the face and then chewed me out for all the gossip that's been going around." He sighed. "I don't like that people are talking about my wife in that way any more than he does, but I trust her and you. Celtic and I didn't go through all that stuff just to have rumors tear us apart."

"We're all a little confused as to why Andy acted the way he did. At least Heat is sticking around – at least I think he is."

"Maybe we need to do something publically…" Bane thought for a moment.

"Like what?" Nate looked at his friend. "What about a wedding ceremony?"

"That could work." He kind of liked that idea. Their wedding hadn't been big or fancy so maybe a big, public ceremony was just the thing to quell these rumors.

"And then you two can finally take a honeymoon." Nate added.

"I don't think…" Bane started.

"Both are excellent ideas." Irish popped her head in through the open window.

"Irish, what are you doing here?" Bane looked at the Blue Moon dragon.

"Checking on you, but also there is something Sonnet and I need to tell you." Irish answered. "Sonnet will be here in the morning. She had to speak with Eos and Astraeus first. The big news will be revealed once we return to the Island of Fire and Cold."

"Is there anything wrong?" Bane asked, panic setting in a little bit.

"Nothing is wrong. Sonnet wants to make sure that now is the right time to reveal some truth about your pasts." Irish replied. "There are things that you do not remember because it was safer that you forgot. We must make sure it is the right time to reveal these truths to you five."

"Five?" Nate asked.

"Nate, Bane, Celtic, Heat, and Frost." Irish answered. "I think we all need to get some sleep."

"Agreed." Bane said. He wondered if he would be able to sleep though. His mind wandered as he wondered about what this "truth" was but he finally found sleep.

-the Island of Fire and Cold-

It had been a couple of days since Andy's outburst, but life on the Island went on as usual. Celtic tried to keep her mind off what had happened by taking care of the Fire and Cold hybrids along with the new baby dragons that Robo was bringing over.

"I forgot had much work this was, but also how much fun it was." Heat told his twin as they approached the baby dragon play area where Celtic was.

"Hey, Frost, Robo dropped off a couple new babies for you." Celtic called out as she noticed the boys approaching. "He said there may be a couple of new Fire element dragons as well soon."

"Babies are a handful." Frost chuckled as a Ghostly Cold dragon came up to him. "What is this?"

"It looks like a Cold dragon but not…" Heat said.

"Robo said it was a 'Ghostly Cold'. They've discovered some decorations that can evolve some dragons into other dragons. I'm not sure exactly how it all works to be honest. Maybe when things calm down a little Bane and I can head over to the breeding caves and observe some of the things Robo and Argy are discovering." Celtic replied. "So many new dragon discoveries happening. I guess the world is right."

"That it is." A Dark Rift dragon landed nearby.

"Nyx!" Celtic smiled warmly at the familiar dragon. "How are things on the Island of Light and Dark?"

"From the messages I am receiving, more and more dragons are returning to the island. Robo is also discovering a lot of new Light and Dark element dragons. It seems we are seeing an influx of special dragons that only appear at certain times of the year. I think this means things are right with the world and the dragons are happy." Nyx nuzzled Celtic shoulder.

"What do we owe this visit?" Frost asked.

"Sonnet sent me. Everything is fine with the Guardian and they will be here tomorrow afternoon." The dragon looked at the Cold General. "It is good to see that the Master General has decided to stick around."

"I figured they'd miss me too much if I left again." Heat joked. "I also missed being around family. Also with everything that happened with Andy, I thought it best if I stuck around for a little while at least."

"Andy is dealing with his own struggles. It is probably best that he left." Nyx shook her head. Even she wasn't sure why the Fire General acted the way he did, but knew it was best that he left when he did.

They chatted with Nyx for a little while longer before heading to bed. Celtic laid awake for a little while thinking about Bane but she finally drifted off to sleep with the baby Chromacorn snuggled up next to her.

Bane couldn't wait to get home. He and Zarzara set up a plan that should she need him, all she had to do was send one of the dragons. He would spend more time with Celtic. They also needed to figure out the big wedding ceremony and honeymoon. They stopped by the Training Island so Nate could check on things. Robo had sent word that Essiw had returned and decided to stay for a while. Nate told Essiw that he would be back to the Island as soon as possible but that they needed to take care of something first. After a quick lunch, they headed to the Island of Fire and Cold. Bane's heart raced as he thought about seeing his wife. Even though it had only been a few days, it had felt like forever since he'd last seen her.

"Bane!" Celtic spotted her husband as she rounded the corner after tending to the baby dragons. She ran to him and buried herself into his chest. They stayed like that until someone cleared their throat. "Hi, Natey." She didn't know where that nickname came from. Sonnet and Irish looked at each other. Iridium snickered.

"Hey, Celt." Nate smiled. It was good to see the two of them together.

"Is that from Andy?" Celtic gently poked his black eye.

"Yeah." He winced a little. It was still tender but no longer throbbed. "It looks worse than it feels." He took her hand in his are they walked toward the baby dragon play area. "Looks like Robo has been dropping off new dragons."

"More so than usual. Nyx said that there's an influx of special dragons. Rift breeding has been going well too." Celtic smiled as the baby Chromacorn dragon came running up to her. "I think I have a new friend." She laughed and picked up the dragon.

"What kind of dragon is this?" Bane petted the dragon's head.

"A Chromacorn. She's a Rainbow Rift dragon." Celtic placed the dragon back on the ground but she stuck close to the Enchantress. "Robo said the breed is extremely rare and they had to use a wish coin in order to get this one."

"Wow!" Bane hadn't had much contact with Robo recently so all of this was new to him. "I have only been gone a couple of days right?"

"Yeah, Robo dropped off the Chromacorn in the afternoon on the day you left." Celtic leaned into her husband.

"Welcome home." Heat and Frost neared the cottage.

"Thanks." Bane shook their hands. "Irish, Sonnet, can you end the suspense now?"

"I think you and Nate need to tell them the plan first." Irish replied.

"Plan?" Frost raised an eyebrow.

"Something to quell the rumors that are going around." Nate looked at Celtic and then at Bane. "I think you should be the one to tell her."

"Tell me what?" Celtic looked at her husband.

"We were thinking about a big, public wedding ceremony." Bane held up his hand before she could say anything. "I know we had the small ceremony before defeating the Silence, but I think if we have a big wedding ceremony it will put an end to at least most of the rumors. Nate suggested that we also take a honeymoon afterwards."

"Okay." Celtic said. She didn't really have a problem with any of it. She thought the idea of a public wedding ceremony was a good idea and she certainly wasn't complaining about taking a honeymoon.

"Now that she's in agreement – and you were worried Guardian – we can reveal the truth." Sonnet said. She and Irish faced each, much like they had months ago, a Window of Reverie appeared and images of the past began to shimmer.

"Nate, you know that you are adopted, but what you were made to forget is that you were adopted from a couple from the Island of Fire and Cold." Sonnet started to speak.

"That's…" Celtic recognized the images of her parents. They were handing a baby over to another couple.

"Those are my parents…" Nate recognized the couple taking the baby.

"The two couples had been friends for a very long time. Celtic's parents could only think of their friends to take their baby boy." Eos' voice came from behind the group.

"There had been threats." Nate was beginning to remember. "My parents had adopted me in to save my biological parents and myself."

"The Dragon Master sent us to the Island of Fire and Cold on the request of Celtic's grandmother." Bane was remembering as well.

"That was right after my parents had been killed protecting me. Heat and Frost had been adopted by my parents only a year before." Celtic looked at the twins. The death of their parents had been fuzzy points in their memories but they had known that they weren't blood-related.

"It was then that I realized I was Celtic's brother. My biological parents had given me up for adoption to protect me, but they longed for another child." Nate's memories were coming back ten-fold.

"My grandmother had said that the threats had stopped but it still took my parents a while before having another child. I was around eight or nine when my parents were killed." Celtic played with the locket around her neck.

"Abigail sent us into the forest when Bane and Nate returned to the Main Island. The Frostfire and Blue Fire dragons looked after us for about a year before she came to get us." Frost added.

"Nate is Celtic's older brother? Why are we just now learning this?"

"The fewer people who knew the truth, the safer it was for everyone. That was during the First War – no one was supposed to find out. Nate and Celtic were able to sense the truth and there was no harm in giving them the knowledge at that time. Once the First War ended, it was decided that you would have those memories blocked. We couldn't be sure of more threats so that was the safest course of action." A familiar face slid down from Aiden's back.

"Dragon Master?" Bane and Nate looked at each other and then back at the elder.

"That's the old man who lives in the forest close to the Fire dragons." Heat recognized the man he had encounter a few times over the years.

"After traveling, I settled in the forest on my birth island." The Dragon Master smiled. "For the longest time, only my son knew I was here." He glanced at Heat. He turned his attention to Bane and Celtic and smiled warmly. "I had a feeling the two of you would get together one day."

"A lot of people did." Nate laughed. "Who knew my best friends would turn out to be my brother-in-law." He pulled Celtic into a hug.

"Who knew the man I looked to as an older brother, is actually my brother." Celtic hugged him back.

"Now, about this wedding ceremony?" Heat asked.


End file.
